[Full-disclosure] Apple Mac OS X Safari 2.0.3 Vulnerability

Mon Apr 24 19:13:31 BST 2006

Apple Mac OS X Safari 2.0.3 Vulnerability
=========================================

Release Date:
April 23th, 2006

Vendor:
Apple Computer Inc.

Tested on:
iBook G4 1.2 GHz with Mac OS X 10.4.5 (Build 8H14) + all Updates from  
Apple except "10.4.6 Update"
iBook G4 1.33 GHz with Mac OS X 10.4.6 (Build 8I127) + all Updates  
from Apple
PowerMac G4 Dual 867 MHz with Mac OS X 10.4.6 (Build 8I127) + all  
Updates from Apple
iMac G4 800 MHz with Mac OS X 10.4.6 (Build 8I127) + all Updates from  
Apple

Versions affected:
Safari 2.0.3 (417.9.2) latest version under 10.4.5 (Build 8H14) and  
perhaps prior versions
Safari 2.0.3 (417.9.2) latest version under 10.4.6 (Build 8I127) and  
perhaps prior versions

Overview:
A vulnerabilitiy exists in Safari 2.0.3 (417.9.2) and perhaps in  
prior versions which causes the operating system to slow down SRCOD  
(Spinning Rainbow Cursor Of Death), and therefore, it's not possible  
to launch any applications like Terminal to kill the process. After  
several minutes Safari crashes.

Technical Details:
Create a new File with following code ...

<HTML>
<TABLE>
<TR><TD ROWSPAN=2000000000>

... then save it as a .html file (example.html) now open it in  
Safari. The application takes a lot of CPU and RAM slowing down the  
operating system SRCOD (Spinning Rainbow Cursor Of Death), and it is  
no longer possible to use OSX even "apple" + "ALT" + "ESC" is working  
very slow!
Go around and pull the power cable out or press the startbutton for a  
while to shut down the computer.

For an expample klick at the link with Safari (WARNING: That crashes  
Safari after several minutes an first the SRCOD (Spinning Rainbow  
Cursor Of Death) is there for all the time!) http://www.yanux.ch/ 
exploits/safari/example.html

Report:
iMac G4 800 MHz with Mac OS X 10.4.6 (Build 8I127) + all Updates from  
Apple
http://www.yanux.ch/exploits/safari/bugreport_imac_g4.txt

Vendor Status:
Apple has notified of this issues on 04/23/2006

Solution:
Currently no patches have been released for this vulnerability.

Discovered by:
Yannick von Arx
yannick[dot]vonarx[at]yanux[dot]ch