CVE-2004-0908 in Mozilla
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Firefox before the Preview Release, Mozilla before 1.7.3, and Thunderbird before 0.8 allows untrusted Javascript code to read and write to the clipboard, and possibly obtain sensitive information, via script-generated events such as Ctrl-Ins.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the clipboard access mechanisms of Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird applications prior to their respective security updates. The issue stems from insufficient validation of script-generated events that can manipulate clipboard operations through keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl-Ins, which are typically reserved for system-level clipboard interactions. The vulnerability allows malicious javascript code running in untrusted contexts to bypass normal security boundaries and access clipboard contents, potentially exposing sensitive data such as passwords, personal information, or confidential documents that users have copied to their clipboard. This represents a classic case of insufficient input validation and privilege escalation in web browser security models where user-generated events are not properly sanitized before being processed by the underlying clipboard management systems.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of event handling within the browser's javascript engine, where script-generated keyboard events can trigger clipboard operations without proper authentication or user consent. Attackers can exploit this by crafting malicious javascript code that simulates keyboard shortcuts to access clipboard contents or write arbitrary data to the clipboard, potentially leading to information disclosure or even credential theft if users have sensitive information in their clipboard. This flaw operates at the intersection of browser security boundaries where trusted system-level clipboard operations are exposed to untrusted javascript execution contexts, creating a pathway for privilege escalation and data exfiltration attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more sophisticated attacks including credential harvesting, data manipulation, and cross-site scripting exploits. An attacker could use this vulnerability to read passwords or other sensitive data that users have copied to their clipboard, or write malicious content to the clipboard that could be pasted by unsuspecting users into applications that do not properly sanitize clipboard data. This creates a significant risk for users who frequently copy and paste sensitive information between applications, as the vulnerability can be exploited through malicious websites or compromised email content. The vulnerability affects a wide range of applications including web browsers, email clients, and other software that relies on clipboard functionality for user interactions.
Security mitigations for this vulnerability include implementing proper event validation and sanitization within browser javascript engines, ensuring that script-generated keyboard events cannot trigger system-level clipboard operations without explicit user consent or proper authentication. Browser vendors should enforce strict boundaries between trusted system operations and untrusted javascript execution contexts, implementing comprehensive input validation for all clipboard-related operations. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and opening email attachments that may contain malicious javascript code. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which addresses improper input validation, and represents a classic example of how insecure event handling can lead to privilege escalation attacks. From an ATT&CK perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1555.003 (Credentials from Password Stores) and T1059.007 (JavaScript) as it enables attackers to harvest credentials through clipboard manipulation and exploit javascript execution capabilities. The fix typically involves updating the browser to a patched version that properly validates clipboard access requests and implements appropriate access controls for script-generated events, ensuring that only legitimate user interactions can trigger clipboard operations while maintaining the security boundaries between trusted and untrusted code execution environments.