CVE-2010-1812 in iOS
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in WebKit in Apple iOS before 4.1 on the iPhone and iPod touch, and webkitgtk before 1.2.6, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via vectors involving selections.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2021
The CVE-2010-1812 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the WebKit rendering engine that affected Apple iOS versions prior to 4.1 and webkitgtk versions before 1.2.6. This vulnerability resides in the core browser engine responsible for processing and displaying web content across numerous platforms and devices. The issue stems from improper memory management during the handling of text selections within web documents, creating a scenario where freed memory locations could be accessed and manipulated by malicious actors. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 as a Use-after-Free condition, which occurs when a program continues to reference memory after it has been freed, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential exploitation opportunities.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves manipulating web content to trigger specific conditions during text selection operations that cause the WebKit engine to free memory resources while still maintaining references to them. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that utilize JavaScript or HTML elements to force the browser into a state where selection handling code attempts to access previously freed memory segments. This creates a scenario where arbitrary code execution becomes possible through controlled memory corruption, or alternatively results in application crashes that can be leveraged for denial of service attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the classic characteristics of heap-based use-after-free exploits, where the freed memory can be reallocated and populated with attacker-controlled data, enabling successful code injection.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-1812 extends beyond simple exploitation capabilities to encompass significant security implications for mobile and desktop environments. On iOS devices, this vulnerability could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the web browser process, potentially leading to complete device compromise. The affected platforms include iPhone and iPod touch devices running iOS versions prior to 4.1, making millions of devices vulnerable to this attack vector. The vulnerability affects webkitgtk implementations, indicating broader exposure across Linux desktop environments and applications utilizing the WebKit rendering engine. The attack surface is particularly concerning as it requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it a prime candidate for drive-by download attacks and automated exploitation campaigns.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability focus on immediate patching and system updates to address the underlying memory management flaws. Apple's release of iOS 4.1 included critical fixes that resolved the use-after-free conditions in the WebKit engine's selection handling code. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure timely deployment of security updates across all affected systems. Browser vendors and developers should also consider implementing additional memory safety checks and address space layout randomization to reduce exploit reliability. The vulnerability highlights the importance of regular security audits of core rendering engines and proper memory management practices. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for application layer execution and T1499.004 for network denial of service, demonstrating how memory corruption flaws can be leveraged for both execution and availability attacks. Implementation of sandboxing mechanisms and strict input validation can provide additional defense-in-depth measures against similar vulnerabilities in rendering engines.