CVE-2006-0389 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Syndication (Safari RSS) in Mac OS X 10.4 through 10.4.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript via unspecified vectors involving RSS feeds.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-0389 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the Syndication component of Mac OS X versions 10.4 through 10.4.5, specifically affecting Safari's RSS feed handling functionality. This vulnerability resides in the web browser's ability to process and display RSS content, creating a potential attack vector where malicious actors can inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript code through compromised feed data. The flaw manifests when Safari processes RSS feeds that contain specially crafted malicious content, allowing attackers to exploit the browser's rendering engine to execute unauthorized scripts within the context of the user's browsing session.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization within the RSS feed processing pipeline of Safari's Syndication framework. When users subscribe to or view RSS feeds through Safari, the application fails to properly escape or filter potentially malicious content contained within feed elements such as titles, descriptions, or other metadata fields. This inadequate sanitization allows attackers to embed JavaScript code within RSS feed entries that gets executed when the feed is displayed, leveraging the browser's trust relationship with locally stored content. The vulnerability specifically affects the way Safari handles RSS feed parsing and rendering, creating a persistent execution environment for malicious scripts that can manipulate the user's browsing experience and potentially exfiltrate sensitive information.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, data theft, and user interface manipulation. An attacker who successfully compromises an RSS feed could redirect users to phishing sites, steal cookies and session information, or inject additional malicious content that persists across multiple browsing sessions. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because RSS feeds are commonly used for news aggregation, blog updates, and other legitimate content distribution channels, making it difficult for users to distinguish between trusted and malicious sources. This attack vector operates at the application layer, leveraging the trust relationship between the browser and locally stored content, which aligns with attack techniques described in the attack pattern taxonomy under the broader category of web application attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require both immediate patching and defensive measures to protect users from exploitation. Apple released security updates to address this vulnerability in subsequent versions of Mac OS X, and users should ensure they are running patched versions of the operating system. Organizations should implement network-level filtering to monitor and block suspicious RSS feed content, while also educating users about the risks of subscribing to untrusted RSS sources. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and output encoding practices that align with established security guidelines such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten project, where cross-site scripting remains consistently ranked as one of the most critical web application security flaws. Additionally, this vulnerability exemplifies the need for comprehensive security testing of web browser components and the importance of maintaining updated security practices that address both known and emerging threats in the cybersecurity landscape. The attack surface created by this vulnerability highlights the necessity of defense-in-depth strategies that protect against various attack vectors while maintaining the usability and functionality of web browsing applications.