CVE-2009-3266
Description
Opera before 10.01 does not properly restrict HTML in a (1) RSS or (2) Atom feed, which allows remote attackers to conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, and conduct cross-zone scripting attacks involving the Feed Subscription Page to read feeds or create feed subscriptions, via a crafted feed, related to the rendering of the application/rss+xml content type as "scripted content."
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
Opera before 10.01 fails to sanitize HTML in RSS/Atom feeds, enabling XSS and cross-zone scripting attacks.
Vulnerability
Opera versions prior to 10.01 do not properly restrict HTML content in RSS (application/rss+xml) or Atom feeds. When a user views a crafted feed, the browser renders the feed as "scripted content" without adequate sanitization, allowing arbitrary HTML and JavaScript to execute in the context of the Feed Subscription Page. This affects all platforms (Windows, Mac, Unix) as per the changelogs [2][3][4]. The vulnerability is documented in Opera's security advisory [1].
Exploitation
An attacker can host a malicious RSS or Atom feed containing embedded HTML and script tags. The victim must subscribe to or view the feed using Opera before 10.01. No additional authentication or user interaction beyond viewing the feed is required. The attacker can craft the feed to inject arbitrary JavaScript, which will execute when the feed is rendered in the browser's feed reader interface.
Impact
Successful exploitation allows cross-site scripting (XSS) within the feed reader context. More critically, it enables cross-zone scripting attacks: an attacker can read existing feed subscriptions or create new feed subscriptions without user consent. This can lead to information disclosure (e.g., reading private feed URLs or content) and potential further compromise if the feed reader interacts with other browser features.
Mitigation
Opera fixed this issue in version 10.01, released on September 18, 2009 [2][3][4]. Users should upgrade to Opera 10.01 or later. No workaround is documented; the only mitigation is to apply the update. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
AI Insight generated on May 24, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.
Affected products
106cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.00:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 104 more
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.00:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.00:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.00:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.00:beta3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.01:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.10:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.50:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.50:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.50:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.51:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.52:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.53:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:10.53:b:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.02:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.0:beta3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.0:beta4:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.0:beta5:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.0:beta6:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.0:beta7:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.0:beta8:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:5.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.01:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.02:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.03:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.05:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.06:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.0:tp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.0:tp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.0:tp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:6.1:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.01:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.02:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.03:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.0:beta1_v2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.10:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.11:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.20:beta7:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.21:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.22:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.50:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.50:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.51:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.52:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.53:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.54:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.54:update1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.54:update2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:7.60:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.01:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.02:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.0:beta3:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.50:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.51:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.52:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.53:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:8.54:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.01:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.02:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.0:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.0:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.20:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.21:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.22:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.24:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.26:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.27:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.50:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.50:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.50:beta2:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.51:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.52:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.60:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.60:beta1:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.61:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.62:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.63:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
- cpe:2.3:a:opera:opera_browser:9.64:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Patches
0No patches discovered yet.
Vulnerability mechanics
AI mechanics synthesis has not run for this CVE yet.
References
15- www.opera.com/docs/changelogs/mac/1001/nvdPatch
- www.opera.com/docs/changelogs/unix/1001/nvdPatch
- www.opera.com/docs/changelogs/windows/1001/nvdPatch
- securethoughts.com/2009/09/exploiting-chrome-and-operas-inbuilt-atomrss-reader-with-script-execution-and-more/nvdExploit
- secunia.com/advisories/37182nvdVendor Advisory
- www.opera.com/support/kb/view/939/nvdVendor Advisory
- www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3073nvdVendor Advisory
- archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2009-10/0289.htmlnvd
- securethoughts.com/2009/10/hijacking-operas-native-page-using-malicious-rss-payloads/nvd
- www.osvdb.org/59358nvd
- www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/506517/100/0/threadednvd
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/36418nvd
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/36850nvd
- exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/54021nvd
- oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A6314nvd
News mentions
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