CVE-2010-1408 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
WebKit in Apple Safari before 5.0 on Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Windows, and before 4.1 on Mac OS X 10.4, allows remote attackers to bypass intended restrictions on outbound connections to "non-default TCP ports" via a crafted port number, related to an "integer truncation issue." NOTE: this may overlap CVE-2010-1099.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1408 represents a critical security flaw in Apple Safari's WebKit rendering engine that affected multiple operating system versions. This issue stems from an integer truncation problem that allows remote attackers to circumvent network access controls designed to restrict outbound connections to non-standard TCP ports. The vulnerability specifically impacts Safari versions prior to 5.0 on Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Windows platforms, as well as versions before 4.1 on Mac OS X 10.4. The flaw enables malicious actors to establish connections to ports that should normally be blocked by the browser's security policies, creating a significant bypass mechanism for network restrictions.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in an integer truncation issue within the WebKit component's network handling code. When processing network connection requests, the system fails to properly validate or handle port numbers, allowing crafted malicious input to be truncated or interpreted in unexpected ways. This integer truncation occurs during the validation process where port numbers are processed and checked against the default port restrictions. The flaw essentially allows an attacker to manipulate the port validation logic by providing carefully crafted port numbers that, when truncated, fall within the allowed range while the original value would have been blocked. This represents a classic security bypass vulnerability where input validation is insufficient to prevent malicious behavior.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-1408 is substantial as it undermines the fundamental network security controls that browsers implement to prevent unauthorized connections. Attackers could exploit this vulnerability to establish outbound connections to ports that should be restricted, potentially enabling them to communicate with malicious servers, exfiltrate data, or establish command and control channels. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects a widely used browser on multiple platforms, including both desktop operating systems and mobile platforms. This allows attackers to leverage the flaw across various environments and potentially maintain persistence through network-based attacks that would normally be blocked by standard security policies.
Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including updating Safari to the patched versions, which were released as part of Safari 5.0 for Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Windows, and Safari 4.1 for Mac OS X 10.4. Network administrators should also consider implementing additional firewall rules and network monitoring to detect unauthorized outbound connections on non-standard ports. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-191, which describes integer underflow or overflow conditions, and represents a specific instance of improper input validation that can lead to privilege escalation or access control bypass. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving network ingress and egress filtering bypass, potentially enabling later stages of the attack lifecycle such as command and control communication or data exfiltration. The flaw demonstrates how seemingly minor implementation details in security-critical code can result in significant bypass capabilities that undermine network defense mechanisms.