CVE-2010-1207 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Firefox before 3.6.7 and Thunderbird before 3.1.1 do not properly implement read restrictions for CANVAS elements, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive cross-origin information via vectors involving reference retention and node deletion.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/21/2021
This vulnerability resides in the core web rendering engine of Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird applications, specifically affecting versions prior to 3.6.7 and 3.1.1 respectively. The issue stems from insufficient implementation of cross-origin security restrictions within the HTML5 canvas element processing. When applications handle canvas elements that reference resources from different origins, the browser fails to properly enforce the same-origin policy that typically prevents unauthorized access to sensitive data across domain boundaries. This flaw creates a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the browser's memory management and reference tracking mechanisms to extract information that should remain protected.
The technical implementation flaw occurs in how the browser handles reference retention and node deletion operations within canvas elements. When a canvas element references content from another origin, the system should maintain strict isolation between these resources to prevent information leakage. However, the vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate the garbage collection process and memory references, enabling them to access cross-origin data that would normally be restricted. This particular weakness aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure through improper access control, and represents a specific implementation gap in the browser's security model. The vulnerability exploits the interaction between the canvas element's memory management and the browser's security sandbox, creating a scenario where references to external resources persist beyond their intended scope.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with the capability to perform cross-origin data exfiltration. Remote adversaries can construct malicious web pages that leverage the canvas element's reference retention behavior to access sensitive information from other domains, potentially including user credentials, personal data, or confidential business information. This type of attack falls under the ATT&CK technique T1071.001 for application layer protocol and T1566 for credential access through social engineering. The vulnerability affects not only individual user privacy but also organizational security posture, as it could enable attackers to perform reconnaissance and gather intelligence across multiple domains without proper authorization.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected browser versions to ensure proper implementation of cross-origin restrictions for canvas elements. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies to maintain current security patches and consider deploying additional security layers such as content security policies to further restrict cross-origin resource access. The fix implemented by Mozilla addresses the underlying reference retention mechanism and ensures proper cleanup of node references when canvas elements are deleted or modified, thereby preventing the information leakage that occurred through memory management flaws. Security teams should also monitor for any attempts to exploit this vulnerability in the wild and implement network-based detection measures to identify suspicious canvas element usage patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.