CVE-2010-1417 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
The Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) implementation in 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 execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) via HTML content that contains multiple :after pseudo-selectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/15/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-1417 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the Cascading Style Sheets implementation of WebKit engine used in Apple Safari browsers. This issue affects multiple operating system versions including Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 on Mac platforms and various Windows versions, with the vulnerability persisting until Safari 5.0 release on Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Safari 4.1 on Mac OS X 10.4. The flaw specifically manifests when processing HTML content containing multiple :after pseudo-selectors, which are CSS pseudo-elements used to insert content before or after the content of an element. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 CWE category, which deals with stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a classic example of how improper memory management in web rendering engines can lead to arbitrary code execution.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of CSS pseudo-selectors, specifically the :after pseudo-selector, which creates a virtual element that is inserted after the content of an element. When WebKit processes HTML content containing multiple nested or chained :after pseudo-selectors, the parser fails to properly validate the memory allocation for these pseudo-elements, leading to a heap-based buffer overflow condition. This memory corruption can be leveraged by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on the target system or cause a denial of service through application crashes. The vulnerability demonstrates how CSS parsing logic can become a vector for code execution, as the rendering engine's handling of these pseudo-selectors does not adequately protect against malformed input that can cause memory corruption during the rendering process.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-1417 extends beyond simple application instability to potentially enable full system compromise. When exploited successfully, this vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the browser process, which typically runs with the same permissions as the logged-in user. This can lead to complete system compromise, especially when combined with other attack vectors or when the user has elevated privileges. The vulnerability affects a broad user base since Safari was widely used on both Mac and Windows platforms, making it an attractive target for attackers seeking maximum impact. The memory corruption resulting from this flaw can manifest as application crashes, browser instability, or more severe consequences including system exploitation, making it a critical security concern for organizations using affected Safari versions.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-1417 primarily focus on immediate patching and browser updates, which was the recommended approach for users of affected Safari versions. Apple released Safari 5.0 for Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Safari 4.1 for Mac OS X 10.4 to address this vulnerability, demonstrating the importance of timely security updates in preventing exploitation. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly. Additionally, browser security configurations can be enhanced through the implementation of Content Security Policies that limit the execution of inline styles and scripts, reducing the attack surface for similar CSS-based vulnerabilities. Network-based mitigations such as web application firewalls and intrusion prevention systems can also provide additional protection layers, though these are less effective against direct exploitation of browser rendering engine vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1059.007 technique for 'Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript' and T1203 for 'Exploitation for Client Execution', highlighting the importance of monitoring for suspicious JavaScript and CSS-based execution patterns in network traffic analysis.