CVE-2012-3714 in Safari
Summary
by MITRE
The Form Autofill feature in Apple Safari before 6.0.1 does not restrict the filled fields to the set of fields contained in an Autofill popover, which allows remote attackers to obtain the Me card from an Address Book via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/14/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-3714 resides within Apple Safari's Form Autofill functionality prior to version 6.0.1, representing a significant security flaw that undermines user privacy and data protection mechanisms. This issue specifically targets the browser's handling of personal information stored in the Address Book, particularly the Me card data that contains sensitive contact details including names, email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses. The flaw stems from inadequate field validation and restriction mechanisms within the Autofill popover interface, creating an attack vector that allows malicious web pages to access and extract personal information without proper user consent or awareness.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation and privilege escalation within web browser components. When users interact with web forms, Safari's Form Autofill feature is designed to present a popover interface containing relevant personal information from the Address Book. However, the vulnerability occurs because the system fails to properly restrict which fields can be populated from the Address Book data. Attackers can craft malicious websites that manipulate the Autofill interface to extract Me card information through carefully constructed form fields that bypass normal security boundaries. This represents a failure in the browser's security model where legitimate user data becomes accessible through unauthorized programmatic means, violating fundamental principles of data isolation and user privacy.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-3714 extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables sophisticated social engineering attacks and identity theft operations. Cybercriminals could deploy malicious websites that automatically harvest personal contact information from users' browsers, potentially collecting sensitive data from thousands of users simultaneously. The vulnerability particularly affects users who maintain comprehensive Address Book entries with personal and professional contact information, making it a valuable target for attackers seeking to build detailed profiles for phishing campaigns, financial fraud, or other malicious activities. This flaw operates silently in the background, meaning users remain unaware that their personal information has been accessed and potentially exfiltrated, creating a significant trust violation between users and their browser software.
From a cybersecurity framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-255 (Credentials Management) categories, as it exposes sensitive personal information and potentially compromises user credentials through the collection of contact data. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1566 (Phishing) and T1071.001 (Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols) where attackers leverage browser vulnerabilities to extract user data. Organizations should note that this vulnerability represents a critical weakness in client-side security controls, demonstrating how seemingly benign browser features can become attack vectors when proper input validation and data access controls are absent. The issue highlights the importance of comprehensive security testing for browser components and the need for robust field-level restrictions in user interface elements that handle sensitive data.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-3714 require immediate software updates to Safari version 6.0.1 or later, which implements proper field restriction mechanisms within the Form Autofill popover. Users should also maintain updated browser versions and enable security features such as automatic updates to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities. Security administrators should monitor for signs of credential harvesting or identity theft patterns that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability. Additional protective measures include implementing browser security policies that limit form autofill functionality, conducting regular security assessments of web applications that interact with browser features, and educating users about the risks of visiting untrusted websites. Organizations should also consider network-level monitoring to detect unusual data access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while ensuring that user privacy controls are properly configured across all browser platforms. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of proper input validation and access control mechanisms in browser security architectures, particularly when handling sensitive personal data stored in local databases or address books.