CVE-2006-2779 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird before 1.5.0.4 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via (1) nested <option> tags in a select tag, (2) a DOMNodeRemoved mutation event, (3) "Content-implemented tree views," (4) BoxObjects, (5) the XBL implementation, (6) an iframe that attempts to remove itself, which leads to memory corruption.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/20/2025
This vulnerability affects mozilla firefox and thunderbird versions prior to 1.5.0.4 and represents a critical memory corruption issue that can lead to denial of service or arbitrary code execution. The flaw stems from multiple interaction points within the browser's rendering engine where improper handling of specific html elements and dom mutations can cause heap corruption. The vulnerability manifests through six distinct attack vectors including nested option tags within select elements, dom node removal mutation events, content-implemented tree views, box objects, xbl implementation flaws, and iframe self-removal attempts. Each of these vectors exploits different aspects of the browser's internal memory management and object lifecycle handling.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper memory deallocation and reference counting within the browser's javascript engine and layout system. When processing nested option tags, the browser's parser fails to properly manage memory allocation for the hierarchical structure, leading to dangling pointers and memory corruption. The domnode removed mutation event vulnerability occurs when the browser attempts to process removal events for nodes that have already been partially destroyed, creating race conditions in memory management. Content-implemented tree views and box objects present similar issues where the browser's internal object model fails to properly handle reference counting during destruction phases. The xbl implementation suffers from improper handling of xml binding language elements that can trigger memory corruption during element instantiation and destruction.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to users as it can be exploited through web pages without requiring user interaction beyond visiting malicious sites. The memory corruption issues can lead to browser crashes that may be exploited for remote code execution, making this a serious security concern for organizations relying on these browsers. The attack vectors are diverse enough that an attacker could potentially select the most effective method based on the target environment and browser configuration. The vulnerability affects both firefox and thunderbird applications, expanding the potential attack surface across different mozilla-based products.
The underlying cause of this vulnerability aligns with common software security weaknesses identified in the common weakness enumeration catalog. The memory corruption aspects relate to cwe-125 out-of-bounds read and cwe-787 out-of-bounds write conditions, while the improper resource management points to cwe-404 improper resource shutdown. The dom manipulation issues connect to cwe-119 memory corruption vulnerabilities that occur when buffer overflow conditions are exploited through web-based interfaces. The xbl and box object related flaws demonstrate cwe-362 race conditions that occur when multiple threads attempt to access shared resources without proper synchronization. This vulnerability also maps to several techniques in the attack tactic and technique knowledge base including privilege escalation through memory corruption and denial of service via application crashes.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including upgrading to firefox version 1.5.0.4 or later and thunderbird version 1.5.0.4 or later where these patches address the memory corruption issues through proper memory management and reference counting mechanisms. Network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious html content containing nested option tags or other vulnerable constructs. Browser hardening measures including disabling unnecessary javascript features and restricting iframe access can reduce the attack surface. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual browser crash patterns and memory allocation errors that may indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments should verify that all affected applications have been properly patched and that no legacy installations remain vulnerable to this memory corruption vulnerability.