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QuicktimeApplication · Apple

CVE-2013-0986

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-05-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 10.8.3 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Buffer overflow in Apple QuickTime before 7.7.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via crafted enof atoms in a movie file.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Apple QuickTime versions prior to 7.7.4. The vulnerability is triggered when processing specially crafted movie files containing malformed 'enof' atoms. Successful exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the current user or cause the application to crash, leading to denial of service.

MitigationUpgrade Apple QuickTime to version 7.7.4 or later. In enterprise environments, consider disabling QuickTime plugin in web browsers and implementing application whitelisting to block execution of untrusted media files.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
QuicktimeApplication
Affected:<= 7.7.3= 3.0= 4.1.2= 5.0= 5.0.1= 5.0.2= 6.0= 6.0.0= 6.0.1= 6.0.2= 6.1= 6.1.0
Mac Os XOperating system
Affected:<= 10.8.3

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check QuickTime version on Windows
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, find Apple QuickTime in the list, and note the version number displayed. Alternatively, launch QuickTime Player, go to Help > About QuickTime Player.
    Affected if The version number is 7.7.3 or lower, or matches any of these specific versions: 3.0, 4.1.2, 5.0, 5.0.1, 5.0.2, 6.0, 6.0.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.2, 6.1, or 6.1.0
  2. Check QuickTime version on macOS
    Open Finder, navigate to /Applications, right-click on QuickTime Player, select Get Info, and view the Version field under General information.
    Affected if The version number is 7.7.3 or lower, or matches any of these specific versions: 3.0, 4.1.2, 5.0, 5.0.1, 5.0.2, 6.0, 6.0.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.2, 6.1, or 6.1.0
  3. Check macOS version if QuickTime is bundled
    Click the Apple menu > About This Mac. The macOS version is displayed (for example, 10.8.3). If QuickTime is bundled with the system, the vulnerability may apply through the OS version.
    Affected if The macOS version is 10.8.3 or lower (10.x versions prior to 10.8.4). This indicates the bundled QuickTime component may be affected.

You are affected if QuickTime version is 7.7.3 or lower, or matches any of the specific versions listed (3.0, 4.1.2, 5.x, 6.x), or if running macOS 10.8.3 or earlier with bundled QuickTime.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 10.8.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Apple QuickTime to version 7.7.4 or later. In enterprise environments, consider disabling QuickTime plugin in web browsers and implementing application whitelisting to block execution of untrusted media files.

Recommended fix High confidence

QuickTime 7.7.4 or later; Mac OS X security updates beyond 10.8.3

  1. Identify the currently installed QuickTime version by opening QuickTime Player and selecting 'QuickTime Player' > 'About QuickTime Player'
  2. Download QuickTime 7.7.4 or later from the official Apple website (support.apple.com)
  3. Close all QuickTime instances and any applications using QuickTime
  4. Run the QuickTime installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the upgrade
  5. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds 7.7.4
  6. For Mac OS X systems, apply the latest Apple security updates through Software Update to address the OS-level component of this vulnerability
Caveat QuickTime 7.7.4 is a legacy version; ensure compatibility with dependent applications before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Quicktime Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,210
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-0986 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data