CVE-2010-2657 in Web Browser
Summary
by MITRE
Opera before 10.60 on Windows and Mac OS X does not properly prevent certain double-click operations from running a program located on a web site, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted web page that bypasses a dialog.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/20/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2010-2657 represents a critical security flaw in Opera web browsers prior to version 10.60 on Windows and Mac OS X platforms. This issue stems from the browser's inadequate handling of double-click operations within web content, creating an exploitable condition that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability specifically targets the browser's user interface interaction mechanisms and demonstrates a failure in proper input validation and security boundary enforcement.
The technical flaw manifests when Opera processes certain double-click operations on web pages, where the browser fails to properly validate or sanitize user interactions that could lead to unintended program execution. This occurs because the browser's security model does not adequately distinguish between legitimate user interactions and maliciously crafted web content that attempts to leverage double-click events to trigger executable code from remote web servers. The vulnerability essentially allows a crafted web page to bypass the browser's security dialog mechanisms that would normally prevent such dangerous operations from executing without explicit user consent.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for users who browse the internet with outdated Opera browsers, as attackers can craft malicious web pages that exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code on target systems. The user-assisted nature of the attack means that victims must actively interact with the malicious page, typically through double-clicking on specific elements, but this requirement does not significantly reduce the overall threat level given the prevalence of web-based attacks and the ease with which users can be tricked into interacting with malicious content. The vulnerability essentially undermines the browser's security model by allowing remote code execution through seemingly benign user interface interactions.
The flaw aligns with CWE-170, which addresses improper handling of double-click operations in user interfaces, and represents a classic example of insufficient input validation in GUI applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter and T1203 for exploitation for privilege escalation, as successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise. Organizations should immediately update to Opera 10.60 or later versions to mitigate this risk, while security administrators should monitor for any attempts to exploit this vulnerability through web-based attack vectors and implement appropriate network security controls to detect and block malicious web content targeting this specific flaw.