CVE-2010-1762 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) 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 inject arbitrary web script or HTML via vectors involving HTML in a TEXTAREA element.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/30/2025
This cross-site scripting vulnerability exists within the WebKit rendering engine used by Apple Safari browsers across multiple operating systems. The flaw specifically affects 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 vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the browser's handling of HTML content within TEXTAREA elements. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious scripts or HTML code that gets injected into TEXTAREA fields, which are then executed in the context of other users' browsing sessions. This represents a classic XSS attack vector that leverages the browser's failure to properly escape or sanitize user input before rendering it within web pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the WebKit engine's inadequate processing of HTML content submitted through TEXTAREA elements. When a user interacts with a web form containing a TEXTAREA field, the browser's rendering engine fails to properly sanitize the input data, allowing malicious scripts to persist and execute when the content is later displayed to other users. This flaw falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, where the weakness occurs during the processing of untrusted data that is then rendered in a web browser. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because TEXTAREA elements are commonly used in web forms for user input, making this attack vector highly accessible to threat actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can steal cookies, manipulate web page content, and potentially gain access to sensitive user data. The attack surface is broad given that TEXTAREA elements are prevalent in web applications, including forums, comment systems, and content management platforms. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 which describes the use of script-based attacks to execute malicious code in the context of a victim's browser session, making it particularly dangerous for web applications that process user-generated content.
Organizations and users affected by this vulnerability should immediately update their Safari browsers to versions 5.0 or later for Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6, 4.1 or later for Mac OS X 10.4, or the corresponding Windows versions. Browser vendors should implement proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms to prevent the persistence and execution of malicious scripts within TEXTAREA elements. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify web applications that may be susceptible to this attack vector, particularly those that process user input through form fields. Additionally, implementing Content Security Policy headers and regular security monitoring can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation in web applications and highlights the need for robust sanitization mechanisms to prevent XSS attacks across all browser platforms.