CVE-2008-2001 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
Apple Safari 3.1.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a file:///%E2 link that triggers an out-of-bounds access, possibly due to a NULL pointer dereference.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-2001 represents a critical denial of service flaw within Apple Safari version 3.1.1 that demonstrates the perilous nature of improper input validation in web browsers. This vulnerability specifically manifests when Safari encounters a crafted file URI containing the sequence "%E2" which triggers an out-of-bounds memory access condition. The flaw stems from the browser's inadequate handling of malformed URI sequences, particularly those involving UTF-8 encoding that results in malformed file:// URLs. The technical implementation reveals that the browser's URI parsing mechanism fails to properly validate the bounds of memory access when processing the malformed sequence, creating a scenario where memory access occurs beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions in software systems, and represents a classic example of improper input validation that can be exploited to crash applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple application instability, as it provides remote attackers with a mechanism to systematically disrupt user sessions and potentially compromise browser availability. When a user navigates to a maliciously crafted web page containing the problematic URI, Safari's rendering engine encounters the malformed file:///%E2 link and attempts to process it, leading to a NULL pointer dereference that ultimately results in application crash. This denial of service condition can be leveraged in various attack scenarios including web-based attacks where users are tricked into visiting malicious websites, or through email attachments containing such links. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the URI parsing layer, meaning that exploitation can occur simply through normal web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or complex attack vectors.
Security professionals should recognize this vulnerability as a prime example of how seemingly innocuous input processing can lead to catastrophic system failures, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1499.1 which covers network denial of service attacks. The flaw demonstrates the importance of robust input validation and proper bounds checking in all software components, particularly those handling user-supplied data. The vulnerability's exploitation potential makes it a significant concern for organizations that rely on Safari for business operations, as it can be used to disrupt productivity and potentially serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks. Organizations should consider implementing browser hardening measures and ensuring timely patch deployment, while also monitoring for indicators of compromise related to this specific vulnerability pattern. The incident underscores the critical need for comprehensive security testing including fuzzing and boundary condition testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in web browser implementations and other software systems where URI handling and memory management intersect.