CVE-2008-1380 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
The JavaScript engine in Mozilla Firefox before 2.0.0.14, Thunderbird before 2.0.0.14, and SeaMonkey before 1.1.10 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (garbage collector crash) and possibly have other impacts via a crafted web page. NOTE: this is due to an incorrect fix for CVE-2008-1237.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-1380 represents a critical flaw in the JavaScript engine implementation of Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey products. This issue manifests as a remote code execution risk that can lead to denial of service conditions through garbage collector crashes, with potential for more severe impacts. The vulnerability stems from an inadequate fix for a previously identified security issue, specifically CVE-2008-1237, which demonstrates the complexity and potential pitfalls in security patch development. The flaw affects versions prior to Firefox 2.0.0.14, Thunderbird 2.0.0.14, and SeaMonkey 1.1.10, indicating a widespread impact across the Mozilla ecosystem. The root cause involves improper handling of memory management within the JavaScript engine's garbage collection mechanism, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted web pages can trigger unexpected behavior in the browser's memory management subsystem.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts a specific web page containing malicious JavaScript code designed to manipulate the garbage collector's operation. The flaw typically involves creating conditions that cause the JavaScript engine to improperly manage memory references, leading to crashes when the garbage collector attempts to process these malformed references. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-129, which describes improper validation of array indices, and relates to CWE-476, representing null pointer dereference conditions. The attack vector leverages the browser's JavaScript engine capabilities to create memory corruption scenarios that ultimately result in application instability. When the garbage collector encounters the malformed JavaScript objects or references, it fails to properly handle the cleanup process, leading to memory access violations and subsequent application crashes.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for end users and organizations relying on these browser applications. The denial of service condition can render applications completely unusable, requiring manual restarts and potentially interrupting important work processes. The potential for additional impacts beyond simple crashes suggests that attackers might be able to leverage this vulnerability for more sophisticated attacks, including information disclosure or privilege escalation scenarios. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework would likely map to T1059.007 for JavaScript execution and T1499.004 for network denial of service operations. Organizations using affected versions face substantial risk exposure, as the vulnerability can be exploited through simple web browsing activities without requiring user interaction beyond visiting malicious websites.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-1380 primarily involve immediate software updates to patched versions of the affected applications. System administrators should prioritize deployment of security patches released by Mozilla, specifically updating to Firefox 2.0.0.14, Thunderbird 2.0.0.14, and SeaMonkey 1.1.10 or later versions. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering systems can provide additional defense in depth, though they cannot fully prevent exploitation of this specific vulnerability. Browser hardening techniques including disabling JavaScript for untrusted sites, implementing sandboxing mechanisms, and using security extensions can reduce the attack surface. The vulnerability highlights the importance of thorough regression testing in security patches, as the incorrect fix for CVE-2008-1237 created this secondary vulnerability. Organizations should also implement monitoring for unusual application behavior or crash patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, as well as maintain current threat intelligence feeds to stay informed about related attack patterns and emerging threats targeting similar JavaScript engine vulnerabilities.