SafariWeb browser · Apple
CVE-2009-2420
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 · uneditedApple Safari 3.2.3 does not properly implement the file: protocol handler, which allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files or cause a denial of service (launch of multiple Windows Explorer instances) via vectors involving an unspecified HTML tag, possibly a related issue to CVE-2009-1703.
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 confidenceApple Safari 3.2.3 contains a flaw in its file: protocol handler implementation that allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files from the local system or cause a denial of service by launching multiple Windows Explorer instances. The vulnerability is triggered through an unspecified HTML tag vector, and is related to CVE-2009-1703.
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
= 3.2.3CVSS 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
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:P
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Verify Safari is installedCheck for Safari application in typical installation locations (Windows: C:\Program Files\Safari\Safari.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\Safari\Safari.exe; Mac: /Applications/Safari.app) or use system information to list installed software.Affected if Safari is not present on the system, the system is not affected by this CVE.
-
Check Safari version numberOpen Safari, then go to Safari > About Safari (Mac) or Help > About Safari (Windows). Alternatively, check the file version property of Safari.exe. Compare the displayed version to 3.2.3.Affected if The installed version is exactly 3.2.3. Note that only this specific version is affected; other versions (including earlier 3.x versions or later 4.x versions) are not vulnerable to this specific CVE.
-
Identify if file protocol handler is accessibleThe vulnerability exploits the file: protocol handler in Safari. Determine if Safari can process HTML content containing file: URLs from untrusted sources (for example, via a web page or HTML email).Affected if A user can be tricked into opening malicious HTML content that uses the file: protocol to access local files. The flaw allows reading arbitrary files from the local system when this condition is met.
A system is affected only if Apple Safari version 3.2.3 is installed AND a user can be induced to process HTML content that leverages the file: protocol handler to access local files.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpgrade to a later Safari version that addresses this vulnerability, as modern versions of Safari include proper sanitization of the file: protocol handler and restrictions against arbitrary file access.
Fix this in Safari
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2009-2420 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2009-2420 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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