Security flaws in latest Safari

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 1st April 2008
Comments (12) Stumble
Apple's Safari has found itself under the security spotlight in recent weeks, and the news isn't all good.

Apple's Safari has found itself under the security spotlight in recent weeks, and the news isn't all good.

Whilst still being a minority browser outside of its own OS monoculture, Apple's Safari is rapidly gaining ground against the more popular Opera, Firefox, and Internet Explorer packages – helped, of course, by the latest iTunes update installing Safari onto Windows PCs that hadn't had it before. A side-effect of this growth, however, is that more critical eyes turn towards your product.

During the PWN to OWN contest at the CanSecWest security conference in Vancouver, the very first system to fall prey to security researcher's penetration attempts was a MacBook Air running the latest build of Apple's Safari browser. The winner of the contest, Charlie Miller, was awarded a cash prize of $10,000 plus the MacBook Air in question, which was running MacOS X 10.5.2 alongside the latest Safari.

The full details of the attack aren't currently known, as the conditions of the contest mean that any exploits used by entrants become the sole property of principle sponsors TippingPoint. The security company has announced that the details of the attack have been turned over to Apple, however; so let's hope that it won't be long until we see a fix.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the attack was an aberration, but that actually isn't the case. Sadly, the attack comes just a week after the discovery that the Windows build of Safari – remember, this is the build that Apple is currently installing via iTunes whether you asked for it or not – suffers from a bug which allows a JavaScript-based exploit to install a frame within a window connected to another site, meaning that attackers could potentially hijack your session and steal login details.;

Far from being a new flaw, the page spoofing exploit it precisely the same as those that Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser suffered from three years ago.

This also comes along with more recent news that Safari – again on Windows – suffers from a buffer overflow when a ZIP archive with an overly long filename is downloaded. So far, this only results in a crash – but the potential for remote code execution is always there.

Safari is far from being the only browser to have security flaws – we've just seen the release of Firefox 2.0.0.13 specifically to correct a bug described by the development team as 'critical' – but that so many major problems have been discovered in the browser might demonstrate that Apple has finally succeeded in becoming 'mainstream' enough for the crackers to sit up and take notice.

Do you believe that Apple software is intrinsically secure, or are we likely to see the same trial-by-fire with the Safari browser that older packages have already endured? Share your thoughts over in the forums.
Quote Herbicide 1st April 2008, 11:05
The more users any software has, the more attention it'll attract from the ...dark side, be it crackers, malware writers or pirates, so it's no surprise that more vulnerabilities are coming to light.
Quote iwog 1st April 2008, 11:24
How the hell are apple allowed to get away with that? I'm not talking about the shoddy security but the forced bundling of their products. To run itunes you need quick time and safari!?!? Quick time i kinda of understand as it loads their special codecs which no one else uses but safari!? Does the itunes store now require a special browser?
Quote Herbicide 1st April 2008, 11:47
As far as I'm aware, neither needs the other (I don't use them, so I'm not too bothered), it's just Jobs trying to expand his market share.
Quote FR34K 1st April 2008, 12:16
it's not necessarily forced...I've been getting the stupid request to download it as well but have refused to being that I hacked my ipod and no longer need any of it. but regardless, it's not forced; people are either too trusting or too stupid to notice something new on their list of itunes/quicktime updates and end up downloading it anyways. I'd know, my mom's a great example of which...
Quote Darkedge 1st April 2008, 12:24
Apple = Scum.
iTunes = Rubbish
Safari = Nightmare

Apple/MS = different name same **** only packages differently (in Apple's case at 3x the cost but in a fancy box).
Quote BioSniper 1st April 2008, 12:52
Itunes is not rubbish, it however IS rubbish when run in Windows, run it on MacOS and its really a great bit of software.

Shame about the problems with Safari but I use FireFox no matter the OS really anyway so its not so much of an issue for me :)
Quote Cupboard 1st April 2008, 13:49
Foobar ftw!
I used iTunes for a few years but after a while the constant nagging got annoying. The only thing is now I have to have QT for audiosurf :(
Quote airchie 1st April 2008, 17:06
It really pisses me off that apple are taking advantage of n00b users and foisting their pishy browser on them.
Should be stopped IMO.
Bring an anti-trust lawsuit on them someone please. :)
Quote ChaosDefinesOrder 1st April 2008, 22:06
I want to see some sort of class action lawsuit against Apple for overcharging and misleading customers. Charging for firmware updates - two seperate incidents on iPod Touch so far for two successive firmware updates that are/were completely free for iPhone owners - is just totally inexcusable considering the over-inflated prices charged to meet their rediculous "30-40% profit or no release" business model! Bundling software/bloatware on installation isn't anything new, but "bundling" on updates is relatively new and underhanded! Something like "if you like *product A* you might like *product B* would you like to install? Yes/No" is acceptable; opt-out installation to increase market share is not acceptable!
Quote docodine 1st April 2008, 22:44
Safari is fine on the Apple laptops we have at my school, but is awful when I tried it on Windows... Glad I didn't stick with it.

iTunes is complete garbage, on any platform. I can't add album art to most of my music, and can't add many albums because the names are too long. Why would Apple release such a terrible program to accompany such a great piece of hardware? (iPod Nano 2nd Gen)
Quote 1ad7 1st April 2008, 22:58
Its very gay what there doing but at the same time there shooting themselves in the foot. No one cared about safari last year... now that more people use it more people care which means apple's "hardcore" (can that be in the same sentence?) users that knew no one cared about apples browser will be getting attacked because its a bigger market. To me that was apples only appeal, no one cared so who was gonna attack me?
Quote koola 1st April 2008, 23:32
Quote:
Originally Posted by docodine
iTunes is complete garbage, on any platform. I can't add album art to most of my music, and can't add many albums because the names are too long. Why would Apple release such a terrible program to accompany such a great piece of hardware? (iPod Nano 2nd Gen)

Works fine on my iMac. Been working great with my iPod, iphone, aTV and audio/video files.

As for the safari issue, I use Camino so no issues there :D
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