CVE-2010-1131 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
JavaScriptCore.dll, as used in Apple Safari 4.0.5 on Windows XP SP3, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via an HTML document composed of many successive occurrences of the <object> substring.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1131 represents a denial of service flaw within Apple Safari 4.0.5's JavaScriptCore.dll component when operating on Windows XP SP3 systems. This issue manifests through specifically crafted HTML documents that contain an excessive number of successive <object> tags, leading to application instability and potential system crashes. The vulnerability exploits a parsing weakness in how the JavaScriptCore engine processes these repeated elements, demonstrating a classic buffer over-read or memory management error that can be triggered through web content manipulation.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array indices, and CWE-787, concerning out-of-bounds write operations. The flaw occurs during the HTML parsing phase where the JavaScriptCore.dll component fails to properly handle or limit the number of successive <object> elements within a single document. This allows an attacker to craft malicious web pages that, when rendered by Safari, cause the application to consume excessive memory resources or trigger memory corruption. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and requires no special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it particularly dangerous for web-based attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to users of the affected Safari version on Windows XP systems, which were widely deployed in enterprise environments during that time period. The denial of service condition can be exploited to disrupt user productivity by causing application crashes, forcing users to restart their browsers and potentially lose unsaved work. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires only web page access, making it easily exploitable through phishing campaigns, compromised websites, or malicious advertisements. Network administrators and security professionals would need to implement immediate mitigation measures, including browser updates or network-based restrictions, to protect their user bases from this vulnerability.
The recommended mitigations for CVE-2010-1131 include immediate deployment of Apple's security patches and updates for Safari 4.0.5 on Windows systems. Organizations should consider implementing web filtering solutions that can detect and block HTML content containing excessive <object> tags or other suspicious patterns. Additionally, users should be educated about avoiding untrusted websites and maintaining current browser versions. This vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for execution through web-based attacks, and T1499, covering network denial of service attacks. The incident highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory management in web browser components, particularly in JavaScript engines that process untrusted content from the internet.