CVE-2007-2410 in WebCore
Summary
by MITRE
WebCore on Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.10 retains properties of certain global objects when a new URL is visited in the same window, which allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/23/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-2410 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within Apple Mac OS X 10.3.9 and 10.4.10 systems, specifically within the WebCore rendering engine that powers Safari and other web browsers on these platforms. This issue stems from improper handling of global object properties during navigation events, creating a persistent security risk that enables attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of legitimate websites.
The technical flaw occurs when a new URL is loaded within the same browser window, causing WebCore to retain certain properties of global objects from the previous page. This retention behavior violates expected security boundaries and creates an environment where malicious code can persist across page transitions. The vulnerability specifically affects the interaction between JavaScript global objects and the browser's navigation system, allowing attackers to manipulate the browser's execution context in ways that were not intended.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability enables remote attackers to conduct sophisticated cross-site scripting attacks by exploiting the persistence of global object properties. An attacker could craft malicious web pages that, when visited, would inject persistent scripts that remain active even after navigation to different URLs within the same browser window. This creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for session hijacking, data theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The security implications extend beyond simple XSS attacks as this flaw represents a failure in browser sandboxing mechanisms and object lifecycle management. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability maps to CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, which specifically addresses the failure to properly sanitize user input before it is rendered in web pages. The flaw also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Scripting and T1531 for Account Access Through Persistence, as it enables persistent malicious code execution.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate system updates and patches from Apple, as well as defensive web application measures. Organizations should have implemented proper input validation and output encoding practices, while browser vendors needed to ensure proper cleanup of global object properties during navigation events. The fix involved modifying WebCore's object management to properly clear or reset global properties when transitioning between different URLs, preventing the persistence of potentially malicious script contexts across page boundaries. This vulnerability highlighted the critical importance of proper object lifecycle management in web browser security implementations and the need for comprehensive testing of navigation behaviors in security-sensitive contexts.