CVE-2002-2359 in Mozilla
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the FTP view feature in Mozilla 1.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the title tag of an ftp URL.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/22/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-2359 represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw that existed within the Mozilla 1.0 web browser release. This issue specifically targeted the FTP view functionality, which was a feature designed to display FTP directory listings within the browser interface. The vulnerability emerged from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the browser's handling of FTP URLs, particularly when these URLs contained title tags that were intended to provide descriptive information about the FTP resources.
The technical flaw stems from the browser's failure to properly escape or filter special characters within the title attribute of FTP URLs before rendering them in the user interface. When a malicious attacker crafted an FTP URL with a specially crafted title tag containing embedded script code, the browser would execute this code as part of the page rendering process rather than treating it as plain text. This represents a direct violation of secure coding principles and demonstrates the critical importance of input sanitization in web applications. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, which specifically addresses the injection of malicious code through web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability was significant for users of the affected Mozilla 1.0 browser version. Attackers could exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser session, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or the execution of malicious actions on behalf of the user. The attack vector was particularly insidious because it leveraged legitimate browser functionality, making it difficult for users to distinguish between benign and malicious FTP URLs. This vulnerability could be exploited through various means including phishing attacks, compromised websites, or social engineering campaigns that directed users to malicious FTP resources.
The attack surface for this vulnerability extended beyond simple script execution to include potential privilege escalation and data exfiltration scenarios. When users navigated to malicious FTP URLs, the injected scripts could access cookies, local storage, or other browser resources that were normally protected by the same-origin policy. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, where attackers leverage browser-based scripting to execute malicious payloads. The vulnerability also demonstrated the broader threat landscape of web browser security, where seemingly benign features like FTP view could become attack vectors for more sophisticated exploits. Organizations and users were advised to immediately update to patched versions of Mozilla browser, as the vulnerability remained exploitable until proper security updates were implemented. This incident highlighted the critical need for comprehensive input validation across all browser components and reinforced the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches in web browser environments.