CVE-2004-0761 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla before 1.7, Firefox before 0.9, and Thunderbird before 0.7, allow remote attackers to use certain redirect sequences to spoof the security lock icon that makes a web page appear to be encrypted.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2019
This vulnerability exists in early versions of Mozilla browsers including Firefox and Thunderbird, where attackers can manipulate redirect sequences to deceive users about the security status of web pages. The flaw specifically targets the browser's security indicators, particularly the visual lock icon that users rely on to verify SSL/TLS encryption. When users navigate to a secure page through a series of redirects, the browser fails to properly validate the security context, allowing malicious actors to present a false sense of security.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of HTTP redirect mechanisms combined with improper handling of SSL certificate validation during navigation sequences. Attackers can craft redirect chains that initially lead to a secure HTTPS page, but then redirect to an insecure HTTP page while maintaining the visual appearance of encryption. This occurs because the browser's security state management does not adequately track the complete redirect path and validate that all components in the sequence maintain the same security level. The flaw essentially allows attackers to bypass the browser's built-in security warnings and visual indicators, creating a deceptive user experience that can be exploited for phishing attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it undermines user trust in browser security features and enables sophisticated social engineering attacks. Users who rely on the security lock icon to identify encrypted connections may be deceived into believing they are communicating securely with legitimate websites when they are actually interacting with malicious actors. This vulnerability particularly affects the principle of least privilege and user awareness in cybersecurity, as it allows attackers to manipulate the user's perception of security without requiring complex technical exploitation techniques. The issue creates a false sense of security that can lead to sensitive data disclosure and credential theft.
Mitigation strategies should focus on updating to patched versions of the affected browsers, as the vulnerability was resolved in Mozilla 1.7, Firefox 0.9, and Thunderbird 0.7. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies and consider deploying security awareness training to help users recognize potential deception attempts. From a defensive perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entity Reference) and relates to ATT&CK technique T1566 (Phishing) by enabling more sophisticated phishing campaigns. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts and implement network-level controls to detect suspicious redirect patterns that could indicate this attack vector. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper state management in security-critical applications and highlights the need for comprehensive validation of security contexts during complex navigation sequences.