CVE-2006-3505 in Mac OS X
Summary
by MITRE
WebKit in Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.7 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML document that causes WebKit to access an object that has already been deallocated.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/22/2025
This vulnerability resides in the WebKit rendering engine used by Apple Mac OS X versions 10.3.9 and 10.4.7, representing a classic use-after-free condition that falls under CWE-416. The flaw occurs when WebKit processes maliciously crafted HTML documents that trigger improper memory management behavior, specifically accessing memory locations that have already been freed or deallocated. This memory corruption vulnerability demonstrates how improper object lifecycle management can lead to severe security implications, as the attacker can manipulate the browser's memory state to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves crafting HTML content that forces WebKit to access objects in memory after they have been destroyed, creating a scenario where the application attempts to read or write to memory that no longer contains valid data. This type of memory corruption can result in unpredictable behavior including application crashes, which constitutes a denial of service condition, or more critically, allows attackers to inject and execute malicious code within the context of the browser process. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the core rendering engine level, affecting how web content is processed and displayed.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to users of affected Mac OS X versions as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities. Attackers can deliver malicious payloads via compromised websites or email attachments containing specially crafted HTML content. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to potential system compromise, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web browser process. This vulnerability affects the fundamental security model of the operating system's web browsing capabilities and represents a critical weakness in the memory management implementation of the WebKit engine.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate system updates and patches provided by Apple to address the underlying memory management flaws in WebKit. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser security policies that include regular software updates, web content filtering, and user education about avoiding untrusted web content. Additionally, security professionals should consider implementing network-based protections such as intrusion detection systems that can identify and block known malicious HTML patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory management practices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as successful exploitation could lead to command execution within the compromised browser environment. System administrators should also consider implementing sandboxing measures and privilege separation to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation attempts, while monitoring for unusual browser behavior that might indicate attempted exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities.