CVE-2004-0718 in Mozilla
Summary
by MITRE
The (1) Mozilla 1.6, (2) Firebird 0.7, (3) Firefox 0.8, and (4) Netscape 7.1 web browsers do not properly prevent a frame in one domain from injecting content into a frame that belongs to another domain, which facilitates web site spoofing and other attacks, aka the frame injection vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/04/2019
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in several major web browsers including Mozilla 1.6, Firebird 0.7, Firefox 0.8, and Netscape 7.1 that stems from improper implementation of the same-origin policy. The vulnerability allows malicious actors to exploit cross-domain frame injection techniques where content from one domain can be injected into frames belonging to different domains, fundamentally undermining the browser's security model. This issue directly violates the core principle of web security that prevents unauthorized access between different domains, creating a pathway for attackers to bypass essential security boundaries that protect users from malicious content.
The technical implementation flaw occurs within the browser's frame handling mechanisms where the security restrictions that should prevent a frame from one domain from accessing or injecting content into frames from another domain are insufficiently enforced. When a web page attempts to inject content into a frame using javascript or other scripting methods, the browser fails to properly validate the domain boundaries, allowing unauthorized cross-domain operations to proceed. This vulnerability specifically affects the frame injection functionality and can be exploited through various attack vectors including malicious websites that attempt to manipulate the content of frames from different origins, potentially leading to sophisticated phishing attacks where users are tricked into believing they are interacting with legitimate websites while actually engaging with malicious content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, enabling attackers to perform sophisticated web site spoofing operations that can deceive users into providing sensitive information. The vulnerability creates opportunities for man-in-the-middle attacks where malicious actors can inject content into legitimate frames, potentially displaying fake login forms or other deceptive interfaces that appear to be part of trusted websites. This type of attack can be particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may be accessing sensitive applications through browser-based interfaces, as it could enable attackers to capture credentials or other confidential information without user awareness. The vulnerability also supports more advanced attack scenarios including session hijacking and privilege escalation through the manipulation of frame content across different domains.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-94, which describes the improper control of generation of code, and specifically relates to the improper enforcement of security boundaries in web browser implementations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving credential access through manipulation of web content and session management, specifically targeting the T1566.001 technique for credential access through phishing and T1071.001 for application layer protocol usage. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper implementation of security policies in web browsers and highlights how even fundamental security mechanisms can be bypassed through inadequate code review and security testing. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected browser versions and implement additional security measures including content security policy enforcement and regular security audits to prevent exploitation of this and similar vulnerabilities. The incident underscores the necessity of robust cross-domain security controls and proper validation of frame operations to maintain the integrity of web browsing sessions and protect against sophisticated social engineering attacks that rely on manipulating browser security boundaries.