CVE-2005-0589 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
The Form Fill feature in Firefox before 1.0.1 allows remote attackers to steal potentially sensitive information via an input control that monitors the values that are generated by the autocomplete capability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2005-0589 represents a significant security flaw in the Firefox web browser's form fill functionality prior to version 1.0.1. This issue falls under the category of information disclosure vulnerabilities and specifically targets the browser's autocomplete mechanisms that are designed to enhance user experience by remembering form data. The flaw exists in how Firefox handles input controls that monitor autocomplete values, creating an unexpected information leakage channel that could be exploited by remote attackers.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the way Firefox's form fill feature processes input controls that are designed to monitor or track the values generated by the autocomplete system. When users interact with web forms that have autocomplete enabled, Firefox stores and suggests previously entered values to improve efficiency. However, the flaw allows malicious web pages to monitor these autocomplete values through specific input controls that can capture and potentially exfiltrate the information. This occurs because the browser's form fill mechanism does not properly isolate or secure the autocomplete data from potentially malicious scripts running on the page. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it leverages legitimate browser functionality to create an information disclosure channel that was not intended by the developers.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as it can potentially expose sensitive personal information that users expect to be protected. Attackers can craft malicious web pages that monitor autocomplete data from various form fields including usernames, passwords, email addresses, and other personal identifiers. This creates a sophisticated attack vector that can be used in phishing campaigns or broader surveillance operations. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates in the context of normal browsing behavior, making it difficult for users to detect when their information is being monitored. The attack requires no special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website, making it an effective method for passive information harvesting. From an att&ck perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving data collection and credential access through web browser exploitation.
The mitigation for this vulnerability required immediate updates to Firefox's form fill and autocomplete mechanisms. Version 1.0.1 of Firefox addressed this issue by implementing stricter isolation between autocomplete data and potentially malicious scripts. The fix involved modifying how input controls interact with autocomplete values, ensuring that monitoring capabilities cannot be used to extract sensitive information. Organizations should have immediately updated their browser deployments to avoid exploitation of this vulnerability. This incident highlighted the importance of proper input validation and data isolation in browser security implementations, particularly in features that handle user data. The vulnerability also demonstrated how seemingly benign user experience features can become security risks when not properly secured against malicious exploitation. Security practitioners should consider implementing additional monitoring for unusual autocomplete behavior and ensure that browser updates are deployed promptly to address such vulnerabilities. The CWE classification for this vulnerability would be CWE-200, Information Exposure, with potential mappings to CWE-352 Cross-Site Request Forgery and CWE-124 Buffer Underflow, depending on the specific implementation details of the exploit.