dbcve.org
SafariWeb browser · Apple

CVE-2009-1600

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-05-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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
Apple Safari executes DOM calls in response to a javascript: URI in the target attribute of a submit element within a form contained in an inline PDF file, which might allow remote attackers to bypass intended Adobe Acrobat JavaScript restrictions on accessing the document object, as demonstrated by a web site that permits PDF uploads by untrusted users, and therefore has a shared document.domain between the web site and this javascript: URI. NOTE: the researcher reports that Adobe's position is "a PDF file is active content."

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 · moderate confidence

This vulnerability allows Apple Safari to execute JavaScript DOM calls via a javascript: URI in the target attribute of a submit element within an inline PDF file. This bypasses Adobe Acrobat's JavaScript restrictions on document object access, enabling cross-domain attacks on web applications that accept untrusted PDF uploads with shared document.domain.

MitigationOrganizations should restrict or prohibit untrusted user PDF uploads to web applications, and users should avoid opening untrusted PDF files in Safari or disable JavaScript execution in PDF viewers.

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
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/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. Identify if Apple Safari is in use
    Check system for installed Safari browser - look for /Applications/Safari.app on macOS or search for Safari in Program Files on Windows
    Affected if Apple Safari is installed and used to view PDF files
  2. Identify web applications accepting PDF uploads
    Review web application configurations and code for file upload functionality that accepts .pdf file types
    Affected if The organization operates web applications that accept untrusted PDF file uploads from users
  3. Check if document.domain is used in PDF-accepting web apps
    Search source code of PDF-accepting web applications for document.domain assignments or domain relaxation settings
    Affected if The web application uses document.domain to allow cross-domain interaction within the same origin
  4. Verify JavaScript execution state in PDF viewer
    Check Safari preferences and Adobe Reader/Acrobat settings for JavaScript enablement in PDF handling
    Affected if JavaScript execution is enabled in Safari's PDF viewer or Adobe PDF plugin settings
  5. Assess PDF upload trust policy
    Review organizational security policies and web application controls for PDF upload handling from untrusted sources
    Affected if The organization allows untrusted users to upload PDF files to web applications without sanitization or restrictions

A user is affected if they run Apple Safari to view PDF files uploaded from untrusted sources to web applications that use document.domain and have JavaScript enabled in the PDF viewer.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Organizations should restrict or prohibit untrusted user PDF uploads to web applications, and users should avoid opening untrusted PDF files in Safari or disable JavaScript execution in PDF viewers.

Fix this in Safari Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
36.0 hours of engineering $6,400
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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-2009-1600 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
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