CVE-2005-0341 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
Apple Safari 1.2.4 does not obey the Content-type field in the HTTP header and renders text as HTML, which allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML and perform cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2005-0341 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in Apple Safari version 1.2.4 that stems from improper handling of HTTP content-type headers. This issue demonstrates a fundamental breakdown in web browser security mechanisms that should enforce proper content rendering based on server-provided metadata. The flaw specifically manifests when Safari encounters web content where the Content-Type header does not explicitly declare the content as HTML, yet the browser proceeds to interpret and render the content as HTML regardless of the header specifications.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs at the browser's content parsing layer where Safari fails to respect the Content-Type HTTP header field that servers use to indicate the nature of content being transmitted. When a web server sends content with a text/plain or other non-HTML content type, but the actual content contains HTML or script elements, Safari's rendering engine processes this content as if it were HTML. This behavior creates a dangerous condition where attackers can craft malicious responses that appear to be plain text or other content types but contain embedded HTML or JavaScript code that executes in the user's browser context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple XSS attacks to potentially enable more sophisticated exploitation techniques. Attackers can leverage this flaw to inject malicious scripts that can steal session cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, modify page content, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the protocol level where browsers should enforce strict content type validation, making it difficult for users to detect malicious activity. This type of flaw aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting vulnerabilities and represents a failure in input validation and output encoding.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability fits within the ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript" and represents a classic example of how browser security boundaries can be circumvented through improper content type handling. The attack surface is broad as it affects any web application that serves content with incorrect content-type headers or any scenario where attackers can influence the HTTP response headers. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper HTTP header validation in web security implementations and highlights how seemingly minor protocol violations can create significant security risks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require both immediate browser updates and defensive web application practices. Users should immediately upgrade to newer versions of Safari that properly implement content-type header validation, while web application developers should implement proper HTTP header management and content sanitization techniques. The fix involves ensuring that browsers properly enforce content-type headers and implement strict rendering policies that prevent content from being rendered as HTML when the server explicitly declares otherwise. Organizations should also implement content security policies and regularly audit their web applications for proper header implementation to prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting in their environments.