CVE-2010-1759 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability 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 (application crash) via vectors related to the Node.normalize method.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2025
The CVE-2010-1759 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within WebKit's implementation of the Node.normalize method, affecting Apple Safari browsers across multiple operating systems. This vulnerability resides in the core rendering engine that powers Safari, making it a fundamental security concern for users of affected versions. The issue stems from improper memory management practices where freed memory locations are accessed after being deallocated, creating exploitable conditions for malicious actors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability operates through JavaScript object manipulation within the WebKit rendering engine, specifically targeting the Node.normalize method which is responsible for normalizing text nodes in the Document Object Model. When processing certain JavaScript code that triggers the normalize method on malformed DOM nodes, the engine fails to properly manage memory references, leading to a scenario where freed memory locations may contain dangling pointers. Attackers can leverage this condition by crafting malicious web pages that, when loaded in affected Safari versions, cause the browser to execute arbitrary code or trigger application crashes.
This vulnerability demonstrates the classic characteristics of a use-after-free exploit pattern that aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses the use of freed memory conditions. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service to full remote code execution capabilities, making it particularly dangerous for users who browse the internet regularly. The vulnerability affects a wide range of operating systems including Mac OS X versions 10.4 through 10.6 and Windows platforms, indicating the widespread nature of the flaw within Apple's browser ecosystem. The exploitability is enhanced by the fact that it requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage, making it a prime target for drive-by download attacks and automated exploitation campaigns.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-1759 creates significant risk for organizations and individual users alike, as it allows attackers to gain complete control over affected systems. The vulnerability can be exploited through standard web browsing activities, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently visit compromised websites. From an attacker's perspective, this flaw maps directly to several ATT&CK techniques including T1059 for command and control through web browsers, and T1203 for exploitation of vulnerabilities in web applications. The memory corruption aspect of the vulnerability also aligns with T1068, representing a direct path to system compromise through application-level exploits.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected Safari installations across all supported platforms, as Apple released security updates addressing the specific memory management issues in WebKit. System administrators should implement browser lockdown policies that restrict access to untrusted websites and consider deploying web application firewalls to detect and block malicious content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and vulnerability management programs, as it demonstrates how seemingly minor DOM manipulation methods can create critical security weaknesses. Organizations should also consider browser sandboxing technologies and regular security updates as part of their comprehensive security posture to prevent similar exploitation scenarios in the future.