CVE-2009-3379 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in libvorbis, as used in Mozilla Firefox 3.5.x before 3.5.4, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors. NOTE: this might overlap CVE-2009-2663.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/24/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2009-3379 represents a critical security flaw in the libvorbis library implementation within Mozilla Firefox versions 3.5.x prior to 3.5.4. This issue affects the multimedia processing capabilities of the browser, specifically when handling Ogg Vorbis audio files which are commonly used for web-based audio streaming and playback. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory handling mechanisms within the libvorbis decoding library that Firefox relies upon for processing audio content.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests through unspecified attack vectors that can trigger either denial of service conditions or potential arbitrary code execution on affected systems. The libvorbis library, which implements the Vorbis audio codec standard, contains memory corruption issues that occur during the parsing and decoding of malformed or specially crafted Ogg Vorbis files. These memory handling flaws typically involve buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory corruption patterns that can be exploited by remote attackers to manipulate the browser's execution flow. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning because it affects the core multimedia processing functionality of the browser, making it a prime target for exploitation in web-based attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for users of affected Firefox versions as it can be exploited through simple web page interactions without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. The potential for remote code execution means that attackers could gain complete control over affected systems, while the denial of service component can be used to disrupt legitimate browser functionality and user productivity. The overlap with CVE-2009-2663 suggests that these vulnerabilities share common underlying causes related to the same memory handling issues within the libvorbis library implementation, indicating a systemic problem in how the library processes audio data.
Security practitioners should note that this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which covers out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which addresses out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. The attack patterns associated with this issue can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059, specifically the use of command and scripting interpreter for code execution, as attackers could potentially leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious payloads. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of Firefox installations to version 3.5.4 or later, as this update includes fixes for the memory handling issues within the libvorbis library. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing content filtering measures to block access to known malicious Ogg Vorbis content until full patching is completed. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of keeping multimedia libraries updated, as these components often process untrusted input from web sources and can serve as attack vectors for sophisticated exploitation techniques.