CVE-2006-1447 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
LaunchServices in Apple Mac OS X 10.4.6 allows remote attackers to cause Safari to launch unsafe content via long file name extensions, which prevents Download Validation from determining which application will be used to open the file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2006-1447 resides within Apple Mac OS X 10.4.6's LaunchServices framework, which serves as the core system component responsible for managing how applications associate with file types and handle file operations. This flaw specifically impacts Safari's download handling mechanism and represents a significant security oversight in the operating system's file validation processes. The vulnerability exploits a fundamental weakness in how the system processes file extensions, particularly when dealing with unusually long file name extensions that exceed normal parsing limits.
The technical flaw manifests when Safari processes file downloads containing extended file name extensions that surpass typical length parameters. LaunchServices, which normally validates and determines the appropriate application for opening downloaded files, fails to properly handle these excessively long extensions. This creates a scenario where the system cannot accurately determine which application will execute the downloaded content, effectively bypassing the normal download validation mechanisms that are designed to prevent potentially malicious content from launching automatically. The vulnerability specifically targets the extension parsing logic within LaunchServices, which is part of the broader Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-20, representing improper input validation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple file handling issues and creates a serious security risk for Mac OS X users. Remote attackers can craft malicious downloads with specially constructed file extensions that exploit this parsing weakness, potentially causing Safari to launch unsafe content through applications that may not be the user's intended choice. This represents a classic attack vector that aligns with the ATT&CK framework's technique T1059, which involves executing malicious code through legitimate system processes. The vulnerability essentially undermines the security model that relies on proper file type association and validation, creating opportunities for phishing attacks, malware delivery, and other malicious activities that could compromise user systems.
The flaw demonstrates a critical failure in input sanitization and validation within Apple's system architecture, where the operating system fails to properly enforce limits on file extension lengths during the download process. This vulnerability particularly affects the security boundary between the user's browser environment and the system's application launching mechanisms, creating an attack surface that malicious actors can exploit without requiring local system access or elevated privileges. The issue also reflects broader concerns about the security of system-level frameworks like LaunchServices, which are fundamental to how operating systems manage application associations and file execution. Organizations and individual users should recognize that this vulnerability represents a failure in the principle of least privilege, where system components fail to properly validate inputs before executing potentially dangerous operations. The exploitability of this vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date operating system versions and implementing additional security measures such as network-based filtering and user education about suspicious download content.