CVE-2009-1685 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in WebKit in Apple Safari before 4.0, iPhone OS 1.0 through 2.2.1, and iPhone OS for iPod touch 1.1 through 2.2.1 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML by overwriting the document.implementation property of (1) an embedded document or (2) a parent document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/06/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-1685 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the WebKit rendering engine that powered Apple Safari browsers and iPhone OS implementations. This vulnerability existed in Safari versions prior to 4.0 and affected iPhone OS versions from 1.0 through 2.2.1, as well as iPod touch OS versions from 1.1 through 2.2.1, making it a widespread issue across Apple's mobile and desktop platforms during that era. The flaw specifically targeted the document.implementation property manipulation, which allowed attackers to execute malicious code through carefully crafted web content that could be rendered within the browser environment.
The technical mechanism of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of the document.implementation property within the Document Object Model, which is a fundamental component of web browser rendering engines. When an attacker successfully overwrites this property in either an embedded document or a parent document context, they can inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML content that gets executed in the victim's browser environment. This particular exploit leveraged the way WebKit handled property overwrites in document objects, creating a path for persistent cross-site scripting attacks that could bypass traditional security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant as it enabled remote attackers to execute malicious code on victim machines without requiring any local privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. Attackers could craft web pages that, when loaded in affected browsers, would execute scripts that could steal session cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or perform other harmful actions. The vulnerability was particularly dangerous because it affected multiple Apple platforms simultaneously, increasing the potential attack surface and making it easier for threat actors to target users across different devices. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and aligns with attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential harvesting.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of affected systems through Apple's security updates, which included the release of Safari 4.0 and corresponding iPhone OS updates. Organizations needed to ensure their users were running patched versions of Apple software, as the vulnerability could be exploited through web-based attacks that required no user interaction. Browser vendors and security teams emphasized the importance of keeping software updated, as this vulnerability demonstrated how flaws in core rendering engines could create widespread security issues. The fix involved modifying how WebKit handled document.implementation property assignments, preventing the type of overwrites that enabled the XSS attack vector. Security professionals recommended implementing content security policies and monitoring for suspicious web content, while also emphasizing the critical need for timely patch management across all Apple platforms to prevent exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in the future.