CVE-2010-3818 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 inline text boxes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/05/2021
The CVE-2010-3818 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within WebKit's rendering engine that affected Apple Safari browsers across multiple operating systems. This vulnerability specifically targets the handling of inline text boxes during web page rendering processes, creating a scenario where freed memory locations could be accessed and manipulated by malicious actors. The flaw exists in the memory management mechanisms of WebKit's text rendering subsystem, where certain conditions allow for improper deallocation of memory resources followed by subsequent access to those same memory locations.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted web content that triggers the specific conditions leading to the use-after-free scenario. When Safari processes inline text boxes in web pages, the browser's memory management system fails to properly track the lifecycle of these text elements, resulting in a situation where memory allocated for text rendering is freed but not properly invalidated. Attackers can leverage this by constructing malicious web pages that cause the browser to create and destroy inline text boxes in specific sequences, ultimately leading to memory corruption that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code or force application crashes.
This vulnerability presents significant operational risks across multiple platforms and operating system versions, affecting Mac OS X 10.5 through 10.6 and Windows systems running Safari versions prior to 5.0.3, as well as Mac OS X 10.4 systems with Safari versions before 4.1.3. The impact extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to full remote code execution capabilities, making it a particularly dangerous vulnerability for enterprise environments. The use-after-free condition creates a stable exploitation vector that can be reliably triggered through web-based attacks, potentially allowing adversaries to gain unauthorized access to affected systems.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions in memory management, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for remote code execution through web-based attacks. Organizations using affected Safari versions face substantial risk from this vulnerability, as it can be exploited through standard web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites. The exploitation requires no special privileges or user consent, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may inadvertently encounter malicious content during routine web browsing activities.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-3818 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected Safari versions, with Apple releasing updates to address the memory management issues in WebKit. System administrators should prioritize deployment of Safari updates across all affected platforms, particularly in enterprise environments where the risk of exploitation is highest. Additional protective measures include implementing web content filtering solutions, disabling JavaScript in trusted environments, and monitoring for suspicious web traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security updates and the need for robust memory safety practices in browser engine development, particularly in complex rendering systems that handle dynamic content manipulation.