Webarchive

Last updated
Web archive
Filename extension
.webarchive
Internet media type
application/x-webarchive
Uniform Type Identifier (UTI) com.apple.webarchive
Type of format web page file archive
Extended from Apple Binary Property List

webarchive is a Web archive file format available on macOS and Windows for saving and reviewing complete web pages using the Safari web browser. [1] The webarchive format differs from a standalone HTML file because it also saves linked files such as images, CSS, and JavaScript. [2] The webarchive format is a concatenation of source files with filenames saved in the binary plist format using NSKeyedArchiver.[ citation needed ] Support for webarchive documents was added in Safari 4 Beta on Windows and is included in subsequent versions. Safari in iOS 13 (iPhone and iPad) has support for web archive files. [3] Previously there was a third party iOS app called Web Archive Viewer that provided this functionality.

Contents

Usage

Vulnerability

In February 2013, a vulnerability with the webarchive format was discovered and reported by Joe Vennix, a Metasploit Project developer. The exploit allows an attacker to send a crafted webarchive to a user containing code to access cookies, local files, and other data. Apple's response to the report was that it will not fix the bug, most likely because it requires action on the users' part in opening the file. [6]

Converting for other browsers

Workarounds to allow the file to be viewed in other browsers are possible, though specific webpage contents may hinder this process. This requires one of the free tools WebArchive Folderizer (for OS X 10.2 and higher) [1] or WebArchive Extractor (for OS X 10.4.3 and higher). [7]

Alternatives

MAFF is an open format (with a published specification) that enables saving of whole webpages in a single file. It is currently supported by Firefox, using an extension. [8] [9] Other web browsers use the MHTML format or do the equivalent by saving a directory of inline resources (usually images) alongside the HTML file, sometimes compressed, like the .war format used by Konqueror (tar+gzip or tar+bzip2). Safari does not support these alternative archive formats.

For archiving entire websites, the Internet Archive has developed the Web ARChive (WARC) format which was standardized by ISO.

HTMLD (HTML Directory) is a NeXT-developed format for saving web pages and their dependencies in a bundle that may also be served by a web server. [10]

The easiest solution may be to not use Safari for saving webpages that are editable. You can open the same page in Chrome and select "Save Page As.." from the file menu. Next select the format of "Webpage, Complete." You will get a fully functional html file that works for any browser. There will be a corresponding folder with all the resources for the html file. The html and resource files are all editable.

Related Research Articles

iCab Web browser for Macintosh operating systems

iCab is a web browser for Mac OS by Alexander Clauss, derived from Crystal Atari Browser (CAB) for Atari TOS compatible computers. It was one of the few browsers still updated for the classic Mac OS prior to that version being discontinued after version 3.0.5 in 2008; Classilla was the last browser that was maintained for that OS but it was discontinued in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safari (web browser)</span> Web browser by Apple

Safari is a web browser developed by Apple. It is built into Apple's operating systems, including macOS, iOS, iPadOS and VisionOS, and uses Apple's open-source browser engine WebKit, which was derived from KHTML.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">OmniWeb</span> Web browser

OmniWeb is a discontinued web browser developed and marketed by The Omni Group exclusively for Apple's macOS operating system. Though a stable version is no longer maintained, it is still available as a free download, and unstable versions are still being released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple Mail</span> Email client by Apple Inc.

Mail is an email client included by Apple Inc. with its operating systems macOS, iOS, iPadOS and watchOS. Mail grew out of NeXTMail, which was originally developed by NeXT as part of its NeXTSTEP operating system, after Apple's acquisition of NeXT in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac OS X Panther</span> Fourth major release of Mac OS X

Mac OS X Panther is the fourth major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system. It followed Mac OS X Jaguar and preceded Mac OS X Tiger. It was released on October 24, 2003, with the retail price of US$129 for a single user and US$199 for a five user, family license.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Favicon</span> Icon associated with a particular web site

A favicon, also known as a shortcut icon, website icon, tab icon, URL icon, or bookmark icon, is a file containing one or more small icons associated with a particular website or web page. A web designer can create such an icon and upload it to a website by several means, and graphical web browsers will then make use of it. Browsers that provide favicon support typically display a page's favicon in the browser's address bar and next to the page's name in a list of bookmarks. Browsers that support a tabbed document interface typically show a page's favicon next to the page's title on the tab, and site-specific browsers use the favicon as a desktop icon.

MHTML, an initialism of "MIME encapsulation of aggregate HTML documents", is a Web archive file format used to combine, in a single computer file, the HTML code and its companion resources that are represented by external hyperlinks in the web page's HTML code. The content of an MHTML file is encoded using the same techniques that were first developed for HTML email messages, using the MIME content type multipart/related. MHTML files use an .mhtml or .mht filename extension.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internet Explorer for Mac</span> Web browser for Apple computers developed by Microsoft from 1996 to 2003

Internet Explorer for Mac was a proprietary web browser developed by Microsoft for the Macintosh platform to browse web pages. Initial versions were developed from the same code base as Internet Explorer for Windows. Later versions diverged, particularly with the release of version 5, which included the cutting-edge, fault-tolerant and highly standards-compliant Tasman layout engine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dashboard (macOS)</span> Discontinued feature of macOS

Dashboard is a discontinued feature of Apple Inc.'s macOS operating systems, used as a secondary desktop for hosting mini-applications known as widgets. These are intended to be simple applications that do not take time to launch. Dashboard applications supplied with macOS included a stock ticker, weather report, calculator, and notepad; while users could create or download their own.

iWork Office suite of applications created by Apple Inc.

iWork is an office suite of applications created by Apple for its macOS, iPadOS, and iOS operating systems, and also available cross-platform through the iCloud website.

In NeXTSTEP, OPENSTEP, and their lineal descendants macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS, and in GNUstep, a bundle is a file directory with a defined structure and file extension, allowing related files to be grouped together as a conceptually single item.

Rich Text Format Directory, also known as RTFD, or Rich Text Format with Attachments, is a primary document format of TextEdit, an application native to NeXTSTEP and macOS which has also been ported to other versions of Unix. The file format is based on the Rich Text Format, but can also include "attachments" such as images and animations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metasploit</span> Computer security testing tool

The Metasploit Project is a computer security project that provides information about security vulnerabilities and aids in penetration testing and IDS signature development. It is owned by Boston, Massachusetts-based security company Rapid7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time Machine (macOS)</span> Backup software application developed by Apple and distributed as part of macOS

Time Machine is the backup mechanism of macOS, the desktop operating system developed by Apple. The software is designed to work with both local storage devices and network-attached disks, and is most commonly used with external disk drives connected using either USB or Thunderbolt. It was first introduced in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, which appeared in October 2007 and incrementally refined in subsequent releases of macOS. Time Machine was revamped in macOS 11 Big Sur to support APFS, thereby enabling "faster, more compact, and more reliable backups" than were possible previously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notes (Apple)</span> Software application for Apple platforms

Notes is a notetaking app developed by Apple Inc. It is provided on their iOS, iPadOS and macOS operating systems, the latter starting with OS X Mountain Lion. It functions as a service for making short text notes, which can be synchronized between devices using Apple's iCloud service. The application uses a similar interface on iOS and macOS, with a non-textured paper background for notes and light yellow icons, suggesting pencil or crayon. Until 2013, both applications used a strongly skeuomorphic interface, with a lined, textured paper design; the Mountain Lion version placed this inside a leather folder. This design was replaced in OS X Mavericks and iOS 7.

macOS Sierra Thirteenth major release of macOS

macOS Sierra is the thirteenth major release of macOS, Apple Inc.'s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. The name "macOS" stems from the intention to unify the operating system's name with that of iOS, watchOS and tvOS. Sierra is named after the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California and Nevada. Its major new features concern Continuity, iCloud, and windowing, as well as support for Apple Pay and Siri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Files (Apple)</span> Mobile file management application developed by Apple

Files is a file management app developed by Apple Inc. for devices that run iOS 11 and later or iPadOS. Discovered as a placeholder title in the App Store just prior to the company's 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference, the app was officially announced at the conference shortly thereafter. Files allows users to browse local files stored within apps, as well as files stored in cloud storage services including iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive. It allows for the saving, opening and organization of files, including placement into structured folders and sub-folders. iPadOS and recent versions of iOS are able to drag-and-drop files between Files and other apps, while iOS versions before iOS 15 are limited to drag-and-drop inside Files itself. Further organization can be done through the use of color-coded or custom-named tags, and a persistent search bar allows for finding files inside folders, though not inside other apps. A list view enables different sorting options. The app offers the exclusive playback of high-quality FLAC audio files, and also offers support for viewing text files, images, "Music Memos", and Zip archives, as well as limited support for video.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rafay Baloch</span> Pakistani ethical hacker

Rafay Baloch is a Pakistani ethical hacker and security researcher known for his discovery of vulnerabilities on the Android operating system. He has been featured and known by both national and international media and publications like Forbes, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and The Express Tribune. He has been listed among the "Top 5 Ethical Hackers of 2014" by CheckMarx. Subsequently he was listed as one of "The 15 Most Successful Ethical Hackers WorldWide" and among "Top 25 Threat Seekers" by SCmagazine. Baloch has also been added in TechJuice 25 under 25 list for the year 2016 and got 13th rank in the list of high achievers. Reflectiz, a cyber security company, released the list of "Top-21 Cybersecurity Experts You Must Follow on Twitter in 2021" recognizing Rafay Baloch as the top influencer. On 23 March 2022, ISPR recognized Rafay Baloch's contribution in the field of Cyber Security with Pride for Pakistan award.

References

  1. 1 2 Frakes, Dan. "De-archive Web Archives". Macworld. IDG Communications. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  2. Arnott, Nick (28 April 2013). "Apple declines to fix vulnerability in Safari's Web Archive files, likely because it requires user action to exploit". iMore. Mobile Nations. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  3. "iOS and IPadOS 13 Review". MacStories. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  4. "iAd JS Programming Guide: Web Archives and Manifest Files". Mac Developer Library. Apple. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  5. "WebArchive Class Reference". Mac Developer Library. Apple. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  6. Vennix, Joe (25 April 2013). "Abusing Safari's webarchive file format". Rapid7 Metasploit. Rapid7. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  7. WebArchive Extractor
  8. "Mozilla Archive Format, with MHT and Faithful Save". Archived from the original on 2 November 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  9. "WebScrapBook" . Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  10. ".htmld Discussion".