CVE-2010-3811 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in WebKit in Apple Safari before 5.0.3 on Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Windows, and before 4.1.3 on Mac OS X 10.4, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via vectors involving element attributes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2021
The CVE-2010-3811 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within WebKit's rendering engine that affected Apple Safari browsers across multiple operating systems. This vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices where freed memory blocks are still referenced after being deallocated, creating opportunities for malicious code execution. The flaw specifically manifests when processing element attributes in web content, making it particularly dangerous in web browser environments where users frequently encounter diverse and untrusted content. The vulnerability impacts a wide range of Safari versions including those running on Mac OS X 10.4 through 10.6 and Windows platforms, demonstrating the cross-platform nature of the underlying WebKit implementation.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves manipulating HTML element attributes in ways that trigger the use-after-free condition within WebKit's memory management system. When a web page contains maliciously crafted attributes that cause the browser to free memory associated with an element while simultaneously attempting to reference that same memory location, the system experiences undefined behavior. This condition can be exploited by remote attackers who craft specially designed web content that, when rendered by Safari, causes the browser to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the running process. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple code execution to include potential denial of service conditions where the application crashes due to memory corruption.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to users who browse the internet without proper security updates, as the exploitation requires no local privileges and can be delivered through standard web content. The attack surface is extensive given Safari's widespread adoption across both desktop and mobile platforms, making it an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to compromise user systems. The vulnerability's exploitation can lead to complete system compromise, data theft, or persistent backdoor installation, depending on the attacker's objectives. Security researchers have categorized this as a high-severity issue due to its remote exploitability and potential for privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-3811 primarily focus on immediate patching and system updates to the affected Safari versions. Organizations should implement automated patch management systems to ensure all Safari installations receive security updates promptly. Browser vendors and system administrators should also consider implementing additional security controls such as sandboxing mechanisms, content filtering, and network-based protections that can detect and block malicious web content before it can be processed by the vulnerable browser. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in software implementations, and represents a common vector for attacks in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the 'Exploitation for Client Execution' tactic. Regular security assessments and user education regarding the importance of keeping browsers updated remain essential defensive measures against this class of vulnerability.