# CVE-2008-2540: Other in n/a

> Remote attackers can silently download malware to user directories, leading to arbitrary code execution via untrusted search path vulnerabilities in Windows.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 3 Jun 2008
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6mfp-r743-cc3p

## What is CVE-2008-2540?

CVE-2008-2540 is a critical vulnerability in Apple Safari, published on 3 Jun 2008. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official 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.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-2540?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Apple Safari.

## How do I fix CVE-2008-2540?

No fix has been published for CVE-2008-2540 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2008-2540 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-2540 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Safari

- [CVE-2015-5780](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5780/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2014-1300](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-1300/): Code injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2014-1303](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-1303/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-1120](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-1120/): Code injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2009-0137](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0137/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2008-2540 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2008-2540 is a critical vulnerability in Apple Safari, published on 3 Jun 2008. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-2540 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apple Safari. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2540/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2540/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-2540
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-2540
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2008-2540

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2540/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.