CVE-2008-4062 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Mozilla Firefox before 2.0.0.17 and 3.x before 3.0.2, Thunderbird before 2.0.0.17, and SeaMonkey before 1.1.12 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via vectors related to the JavaScript engine and (1) misinterpretation of the characteristics of Namespace and QName in jsxml.c, (2) misuse of signed integers in the nsEscapeCount function in nsEscape.cpp, and (3) interaction of JavaScript garbage collection with certain use of an NPObject in the nsNPObjWrapper::GetNewOrUsed function in nsJSNPRuntime.cpp.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/17/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-4062 represents a critical class of memory corruption issues affecting Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey browsers across multiple versions. This vulnerability stems from multiple interconnected flaws within the JavaScript engine and core browser components, creating a complex attack surface that could enable remote code execution or denial of service conditions. The affected versions include Firefox 2.0.0.16 and earlier, Firefox 3.x versions prior to 3.0.1, Thunderbird 2.0.0.16 and earlier, and SeaMonkey 1.1.11 and earlier, indicating a widespread impact across the Mozilla ecosystem.
The technical flaws identified in this vulnerability can be categorized under several CWE classifications including CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, and CWE-129: Improper Validation of Array Index. The first vector involves misinterpretation of Namespace and QName characteristics in jsxml.c, which suggests improper handling of XML namespace declarations and qualified names that could lead to memory corruption when processing malformed XML content. The second vulnerability occurs in the nsEscapeCount function within nsEscape.cpp where signed integer misuse could result in incorrect buffer calculations, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate memory boundaries through crafted input data. The third vector involves JavaScript garbage collection interactions with NPObject usage in nsJSNPRuntime.cpp, specifically within the nsNPObjWrapper::GetNewOrUsed function, which indicates a race condition or improper memory management scenario when handling plugin objects.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to end users and organizations as it allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website or opening a specially crafted email message. The combination of memory corruption and potential code execution capabilities makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in targeted attack scenarios. The fact that multiple browser products are affected increases the attack surface, as attackers can leverage different products to achieve their objectives. The denial of service aspect also creates opportunities for persistent disruption attacks where attackers can repeatedly crash applications and prevent legitimate users from accessing services.
The attack patterns associated with CVE-2008-4062 align with ATT&CK techniques including T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution and T1059.007: Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript, indicating that attackers can leverage JavaScript engine vulnerabilities to execute malicious code remotely. The memory corruption aspects suggest that attackers might employ techniques such as heap spraying or return-oriented programming to achieve code execution. Organizations should implement comprehensive mitigation strategies including immediate patching of affected versions, deployment of web application firewalls, and network segmentation to limit the impact of potential exploitation. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper integer handling and memory management practices in browser engine development, emphasizing the need for thorough code review processes and automated security testing. Additionally, this vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and implementing robust security monitoring to detect and respond to exploitation attempts in real-time environments.