CVE-2001-1490 in Mozilla
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla 0.9.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption and memory leak) via a web page with a large number of images.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2001-1490 affects Mozilla 0.9.6 web browser versions and represents a significant denial of service weakness that can be exploited remotely by attackers. This flaw specifically targets the browser's handling of web pages containing an excessive number of images, creating a scenario where the victim's system resources become severely compromised through sustained high cpu utilization and progressive memory consumption. The issue stems from inadequate resource management within the browser's image processing and rendering mechanisms, which fail to properly handle or limit the processing of large image collections. This vulnerability operates under the broader category of resource exhaustion attacks that fall within the attack pattern taxonomy of attack technique t1499 in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically targeting the availability aspect of the CIA triad.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits fundamental flaws in Mozilla's image handling subsystem where each image element within a web page triggers specific processing routines that consume system resources without adequate bounds checking or resource limiting mechanisms. When a malicious web page contains hundreds or thousands of image references, the browser's rendering engine attempts to process each image sequentially or in parallel, leading to exponential resource consumption that can quickly overwhelm the target system's cpu cycles and memory allocation capabilities. The memory leak component manifests through improper garbage collection of image data structures and cached resources, causing progressive memory bloat that can eventually lead to system instability or complete browser crash. This behavior aligns with CWE-400, which categorizes unchecked resource consumption as a critical weakness in software design and implementation practices.
The operational impact of CVE-2001-1490 extends beyond simple browser disruption to encompass broader system availability concerns that can affect user productivity and system stability. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to create sustained denial of service conditions against targeted users or systems, particularly in environments where users frequently browse untrusted web content or where automated browser processes are utilized. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in enterprise settings where browser-based applications and web services are heavily utilized, as it can be exploited to disrupt normal operations through simple web page access. The resource consumption characteristics make this attack particularly difficult to detect and mitigate in real-time, as the gradual nature of memory leak progression and cpu utilization spikes can go unnoticed until system performance degradation becomes severe enough to impact critical operations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate defensive measures and longer-term architectural improvements to prevent similar issues in future implementations. Users should immediately upgrade to patched versions of Mozilla browsers where available, as this vulnerability was addressed in subsequent releases through enhanced resource management and bounds checking mechanisms. System administrators should implement web filtering and content validation measures to restrict access to potentially malicious web pages, while also monitoring browser resource consumption for unusual patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability serves as a critical reminder of the importance of proper resource management in browser implementations and highlights the necessity of robust input validation and resource limiting mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing browser hardening practices and regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in their web browsing infrastructure, with particular attention to the principles of least privilege and resource isolation that can help contain the impact of such vulnerabilities.