CVE-2010-1786 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in WebKit in Apple Safari before 5.0.1 on Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Windows, and before 4.1.1 on Mac OS X 10.4; and webkitgtk before 1.2.6; allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via a foreignObject element in an SVG document.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2021
The CVE-2010-1786 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the WebKit rendering engine that powers Apple Safari and various webkitgtk implementations. This vulnerability specifically targets the handling of foreignObject elements within Scalable Vector Graphics documents, creating a dangerous condition where memory previously freed by the application is accessed again. The flaw exists in multiple versions of Safari across different operating systems including Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6, Windows platforms, and older versions of webkitgtk libraries. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-416 category of Use After Free, which is classified as a serious memory safety issue that can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a malicious SVG document contains a foreignObject element that triggers improper memory management within the WebKit engine. When the browser processes this element, it allocates memory for the foreignObject object and subsequently frees it during normal operation. However, under certain conditions, the application continues to reference this freed memory location, leading to unpredictable behavior. This memory corruption can be leveraged by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the compromised browser process, or alternatively cause a denial of service through application crashes. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the rendering engine level, meaning that simply viewing a malicious webpage could trigger the exploit without any user interaction beyond navigation.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-1786 extends beyond simple exploitation to encompass significant security risks for users of affected systems. Attackers could craft malicious SVG files or embed malicious content within legitimate websites that would automatically trigger the vulnerability when loaded in affected browsers. This creates a vector for remote code execution that could allow attackers to install malware, steal sensitive information, or take complete control of affected systems. The vulnerability affects a wide range of platforms and versions, making it particularly dangerous as it could impact users across multiple operating systems and browser versions. Organizations with older systems running affected Safari versions or webkitgtk implementations would be particularly vulnerable, as these systems likely contain valuable corporate or personal data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-1786 primarily focus on immediate patching and system updates to address the underlying memory management issues within WebKit. Apple released Safari updates for versions 5.0.1 on Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and 4.1.1 on Mac OS X 10.4, while webkitgtk users needed to upgrade to version 1.2.6 or later. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly. Additional protective measures include implementing web content filtering solutions that can block potentially malicious SVG content, disabling SVG support in browsers when not required, and deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify exploitation attempts. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving exploitation of memory corruption flaws and remote code execution, with potential lateral movement opportunities if successful exploitation occurs. Network administrators should also consider implementing sandboxing measures for web browsers and establishing incident response procedures specifically tailored to handle memory corruption vulnerabilities that could lead to full system compromise.