CVE-2008-0894 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
Apple Safari might allow remote attackers to obtain potentially sensitive memory contents or cause a denial of service (crash) via a crafted (1) bitmap (BMP) or (2) GIF file, a related issue to CVE-2008-0420.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-0894 affects Apple Safari web browser and represents a critical memory corruption issue that could be exploited by remote attackers to either extract sensitive information from system memory or cause arbitrary code execution through browser crashes. This flaw specifically manifests when Safari processes malformed bitmap BMP and graphics interchange format GIF files, creating a significant attack surface that leverages the browser's image parsing capabilities. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-125 as an out-of-bounds read condition, where the browser fails to properly validate image file structures before attempting to parse their contents, leading to memory access violations that can be manipulated by attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation within Safari's image handling components, particularly in how the browser processes image headers and metadata structures. When a maliciously crafted BMP or GIF file is loaded through a web page, Safari's image parser attempts to read memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries, potentially exposing sensitive data such as cryptographic keys, session tokens, or other confidential information stored in adjacent memory regions. This memory disclosure vulnerability operates at the kernel level within the browser's rendering engine, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-0894 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential information disclosure and system compromise scenarios that align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to create persistent access points through memory extraction, potentially enabling them to reconstruct sensitive session data or application state information that could be used to escalate privileges or conduct further attacks against the affected system. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal user interaction since it can be triggered automatically when a webpage loads malicious image content, making it particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns or drive-by download scenarios where users are unknowingly exposed to compromised web content.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability should focus on immediate browser updates and patch management procedures, as Apple would have released a security update addressing the memory parsing flaws in affected Safari versions. Organizations should implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious image file patterns, while also considering browser hardening measures that restrict image processing capabilities in web applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and bounds checking in software development practices, particularly for image processing libraries that handle untrusted input from network sources, and aligns with security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten project for preventing injection flaws that can lead to memory corruption vulnerabilities.