CVE-2005-0150 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Firefox before 1.0 allows the user to store a (1) javascript: or (2) data: URLs as a Livefeed bookmark, then executes it in the security context of the currently loaded page when the user later accesses the bookmark, which could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/06/2019
This vulnerability exists in mozilla firefox versions prior to 1.0 and represents a significant security flaw in the browser's handling of bookmarked content. The issue stems from the browser's inability to properly sanitize and validate livefeed bookmarks that contain javascript: or data: URLs. When users store such malicious URLs as bookmarks, the browser fails to enforce proper security boundaries during execution, allowing these potentially harmful scripts to run within the context of the currently loaded webpage. This creates a dangerous situation where remote attackers can craft malicious bookmarks that execute arbitrary code when accessed by unsuspecting users.
The technical flaw manifests in the browser's bookmark processing logic where it does not adequately distinguish between legitimate web content and potentially malicious script URLs. When a user accesses a bookmark containing javascript: or data: protocols, the browser executes the embedded code without proper security checks that would normally be applied to content loaded from external sources. This behavior violates fundamental security principles of sandboxing and privilege separation that are essential for web browsers to prevent cross-site scripting attacks and other code execution vulnerabilities. The vulnerability directly relates to CWE-74 and CWE-94, which address injection flaws and code execution issues in web applications, while also mapping to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for scripting and T1203 for exploitation of web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it allows for remote code execution attacks that can compromise user systems entirely. Attackers can create malicious bookmarks that, when accessed by victims, execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the currently loaded page. This means that if a user visits a malicious website and then accesses a previously stored malicious bookmark, the attacker's code can run with the same security context as the legitimate website, potentially stealing cookies, credentials, or performing other malicious actions. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it leverages the trust users place in their bookmarked content and can bypass many traditional security measures that protect against direct web-based attacks. Users may unknowingly execute malicious code simply by accessing their own bookmarks, making this a sophisticated social engineering attack vector combined with a technical vulnerability.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability include upgrading to firefox version 1.0 or later where the issue has been addressed through improved bookmark validation and execution controls. Users should also exercise caution when storing bookmarks and verify the legitimacy of all content before saving it to their browser. Security administrators should implement browser hardening policies that restrict the execution of javascript and data URLs in bookmark contexts, and consider deploying web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious bookmark content. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security awareness training to educate users about the risks of storing untrusted content in their browsers and the importance of verifying bookmark sources before accessing them. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and the need for web browsers to maintain strict security boundaries even for content that users explicitly choose to save for later access.