CVE-2010-1310 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera 10.50 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via crafted XSLT constructs, which cause Opera to return cached contents of other pages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/07/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1310 represents a significant information disclosure flaw within Opera web browser version 10.50. This issue stems from improper handling of XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) processing within the browser's rendering engine, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted XSLT constructs can be exploited to access cached content from other web pages. The vulnerability operates through a cache manipulation mechanism that bypasses normal security boundaries between different web contexts, potentially exposing sensitive user data or session information that should remain isolated.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in Opera's XSLT processing implementation, which fails to properly invalidate or isolate cached content when processing malicious XSLT documents. When a user visits a page containing crafted XSLT that references or manipulates cached resources from other domains or even the same domain, the browser's caching mechanism can be exploited to return contents that should not be accessible to the requesting page. This behavior constitutes a classic cache poisoning or cache manipulation attack vector where the attacker leverages the browser's legitimate caching features for malicious purposes. The flaw specifically affects the XSLT transformation engine's handling of resource references and cache invalidation logic, creating a pathway for cross-context information leakage.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-1310 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially enable attackers to reconstruct user sessions, access private communications, or gather sensitive data from other web applications running within the same browser instance. This vulnerability particularly affects users who navigate between multiple web applications or maintain active sessions across different domains, as the cached content from one context can be accessed by another through the manipulated XSLT processing. The attack requires remote code execution capabilities through a malicious web page, making it particularly dangerous in phishing scenarios or when users visit compromised websites. The vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the browser's security model for handling cross-origin resource access, which aligns with common weaknesses documented in CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-215 (Information Exposure Through Debugging Code).
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability involve immediate browser updates to patched versions that address the XSLT processing and caching logic flaws. Users should ensure they are running the latest Opera browser version that includes fixes for this specific vulnerability. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers that limit the ability of XSLT documents to access cached resources or cross-origin content. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper cache isolation mechanisms in web browsers and aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to credential access and information gathering through web browser exploitation. Organizations should also implement web application firewalls or proxy configurations that can detect and block suspicious XSLT processing patterns, while security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts in their network traffic logs. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the complex security implications that arise from sophisticated web technologies and the critical need for comprehensive security testing of browser rendering engines.