CVE-2003-1419 in Navigator
Summary
by MITRE
Netscape 7.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a web page with an invalid regular expression argument to the JavaScript reformatDate function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/23/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-1419 represents a classic denial of service flaw affecting Netscape 7.0 web browser software. This security weakness stems from insufficient input validation within the JavaScript engine's implementation of the reformatDate function, which processes date formatting operations. The flaw specifically manifests when malicious web pages attempt to invoke this function with malformed regular expression arguments that the browser cannot properly handle. Such invalid inputs trigger unexpected behavior in the JavaScript interpreter, leading to application instability and eventual browser crash. The vulnerability exists at the intersection of web browser security and scripting engine robustness, where improper error handling allows crafted payloads to disrupt normal browser operations.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability operates through the JavaScript engine's inadequate sanitization of regular expression parameters passed to the reformatDate function. When the browser encounters an invalid regular expression pattern, the underlying parsing and execution mechanisms fail to gracefully handle the error condition, instead causing a stack overflow or memory corruption scenario that results in the browser process terminating unexpectedly. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices and lacks proper exception handling within the JavaScript runtime environment. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which specifically addresses insufficient input validation, and more broadly aligns with CWE-248, addressing uncaught exceptions in software implementations. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication or privileged access to exploit, making it a straightforward remote attack vector.
The operational impact of CVE-2003-1419 extends beyond simple browser instability, creating potential security risks for users who may be tricked into visiting malicious websites. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to disrupt user productivity by forcing browser crashes, potentially leading to data loss or session interruption. In enterprise environments where Netscape 7.0 was deployed, this vulnerability could be used as part of broader attack campaigns to create chaos or as a precursor to more sophisticated attacks. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in web applications and scripting environments, as it shows how malformed data can propagate through application layers to cause system-wide failures. Organizations using this browser version were particularly vulnerable since the flaw existed in the core JavaScript execution engine rather than in specific browser components.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate software updates and patches provided by Netscape to address the JavaScript engine's handling of regular expression arguments. Users should upgrade to newer browser versions that contain proper input validation and error handling mechanisms for JavaScript functions. System administrators should implement web filtering solutions to block access to known malicious websites that exploit this vulnerability, while also ensuring that browser security policies are properly configured to limit potential attack surfaces. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing browser hardening practices such as disabling unnecessary JavaScript functionality or restricting access to potentially vulnerable functions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to technique T1499.004 related to network denial of service attacks, and represents a classic example of how application-level flaws can be exploited to achieve system-level disruption. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of secure coding practices and proper error handling in preventing exploitation of similar weaknesses in modern web applications.