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SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2009-0137

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-02-13
Patch available
A vendor patch is available. No clean upgrade release — apply the published patch.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Safari RSS in Apple Mac OS X 10.4.11 and 10.5.6, and Windows XP and Vista, allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the local security zone via a crafted feed: URL, related to "input validation issues."

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Safari RSS allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the local security zone through crafted feed URLs, indicating input validation issues. This affects Apple Mac OS X 10.4.11, 10.5.6, and Windows XP and Vista.

MitigationTo remediate this vulnerability, it is essential to ensure proper input validation for feed URLs and update affected systems to mitigate the risk of arbitrary JavaScript execution.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
SafariWeb browser
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Safari installation
    On Mac: verify /Applications/Safari.app exists. On Windows: check for Safari in Program Files or use Add/Remove Programs.
    Affected if Safari is installed on the system
  2. Identify OS version
    On Mac: click Apple menu > About This Mac to read the OS version. On Windows: right-click My Computer > Properties to view the Windows version.
    Affected if Running Mac OS X 10.4.11 or 10.5.6, or Windows XP or Vista
  3. Determine RSS feature status
    Open Safari > Preferences (or Edit > Preferences on Windows) and look for RSS or Atom settings in the General or Bookmarks tab.
    Affected if RSS feed feature is enabled or feeds have been subscribed to
  4. Review active feed subscriptions
    In Safari, open the RSS sidebar (View > Show Sidebar > RSS) to list all subscribed feed URLs.
    Affected if Any RSS feeds are currently subscribed in Safari

A user is affected if Safari is installed on Mac OS X 10.4.11, 10.5.6, Windows XP, or Windows Vista and the RSS feature has been enabled or used to subscribe to any feeds.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Patch available Apply the vendor patch
Vendor patch lists.apple.com →
Interim mitigation

To remediate this vulnerability, it is essential to ensure proper input validation for feed URLs and update affected systems to mitigate the risk of arbitrary JavaScript execution.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to latest available Safari version (Safari 16.6+ on supported macOS systems) or migrate to a supported browser on legacy systems

  1. 1. Determine the current Safari version by clicking Safari > About Safari
  2. 2. If running on a modern macOS system (10.15 or later), Safari updates are delivered via system updates. Go to System Preferences > Software Update and install all available updates
  3. 3. For older systems still running Mac OS X 10.4.11 or 10.5.6, these operating systems are no longer supported and do not receive security updates; migrate to a supported macOS version
  4. 4. On Windows systems, Safari is no longer supported since Safari 12; consider migrating to a modern supported browser such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
  5. 5. After updating, verify Safari version is current and the vulnerability is addressed
Caveat Modern macOS upgrade may require significant system changes; Windows Safari is discontinued

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,690
Get the patch applied

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,304.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2009-0137 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data