CVE-2010-1815 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 scrollbars.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2021
The CVE-2010-1815 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 browser engine's handling of scrollbar elements and demonstrates how seemingly benign user interface components can become attack vectors for remote code execution. The flaw operates through improper memory management practices where freed memory locations are accessed after being deallocated, creating opportunities for malicious code injection. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-416 as use of freed memory, which directly aligns with the fundamental principles of memory safety violations in software development.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when WebKit processes scrollbars in web content, specifically during the interaction between JavaScript and DOM elements that control scrollbar behavior. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that trigger specific sequences of events leading to memory corruption, where the browser's memory management system attempts to access previously freed memory blocks. The attack vector involves manipulating scrollbar-related JavaScript APIs and DOM properties to force the browser into an inconsistent state where memory addresses are reused before proper cleanup. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through standard web browsing activities, requiring no special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-1815 extends beyond simple application crashes to encompass full remote code execution capabilities that could compromise entire mobile devices. Mobile users running affected iOS versions were vulnerable to attacks that could execute arbitrary code on their devices, potentially leading to complete system compromise and data theft. The vulnerability's remote nature means attackers could exploit it from anywhere on the internet without requiring physical access to the target device. This represents a significant threat to mobile security and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter, as attackers could leverage the vulnerability to execute malicious payloads through browser-based attack chains.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability required immediate patching of affected systems, with Apple releasing iOS 4.1 to address the memory management issues in WebKit. Organizations should have implemented network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering to prevent access to known malicious sites. The remediation process involved updating the WebKit rendering engine components to properly handle memory deallocation and re-allocation processes, particularly for scrollbar-related functionality. Security teams needed to monitor for exploitation attempts and implement device management policies to ensure all iOS devices were updated to versions containing the necessary memory safety patches. Additionally, browser security hardening measures including sandboxing and memory protection mechanisms should have been enforced to limit the potential impact of similar vulnerabilities in the future.