CVE-2009-3375 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
content/html/document/src/nsHTMLDocument.cpp in Mozilla Firefox 3.0.x before 3.0.15 and 3.5.x before 3.5.4 allows user-assisted remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy and read an arbitrary content selection via the document.getSelection function.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2009-3375 represents a critical security flaw in Mozilla Firefox's implementation of the Same Origin Policy mechanism, which is fundamental to web browser security architecture. This weakness exists within the nsHTMLDocument.cpp source file and affects Firefox versions 3.0.x prior to 3.0.15 and 3.5.x prior to 3.5.4, creating a significant attack vector that undermines core web security principles. The Same Origin Policy serves as the primary defense mechanism preventing malicious websites from accessing sensitive data from other domains, making this bypass particularly dangerous for user privacy and data protection.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the document.getSelection function, which is designed to retrieve text selections from web pages. Attackers can manipulate this function to access content from different origins that should normally be restricted by browser security policies. The flaw allows remote attackers to perform user-assisted attacks, meaning they require some form of user interaction such as clicking a malicious link or visiting a compromised website. This specific implementation error in the HTML document handling component enables unauthorized cross-origin data access, effectively circumventing the security boundaries that separate different web domains.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the capability to extract arbitrary content selections from web pages across different origins. This could potentially expose sensitive user data, private communications, or confidential information that users expect to remain protected by the browser's security model. The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and represents a direct violation of the browser's security architecture. Security researchers have identified this issue as part of the broader category of cross-site scripting and data leakage vulnerabilities that threaten user privacy and data integrity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2009-3375 require immediate patching of affected Firefox versions to the recommended updates that address the specific implementation flaw in the document.getSelection function. System administrators and users should prioritize updating to Firefox 3.0.15 or 3.5.4 respectively, as these releases contain the necessary code modifications to restore proper Same Origin Policy enforcement. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring for suspicious network activity and consider deploying web application firewalls or content filtering solutions that can detect and block malicious attempts to exploit this vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the technique of "Web Application Security Misconfiguration" and "Data Exfiltration" as attackers can leverage this flaw to extract sensitive information from user sessions and web applications. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any potential exploitation attempts, while security awareness training can help users recognize and avoid potentially malicious websites that might attempt to leverage this vulnerability for unauthorized data access.