CVE-2010-3168 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Firefox before 3.5.12 and 3.6.x before 3.6.9, Thunderbird before 3.0.7 and 3.1.x before 3.1.3, and SeaMonkey before 2.0.7 do not properly restrict the role of property changes in triggering XUL tree removal, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (deleted memory access and application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code by setting unspecified properties.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2021
This vulnerability affects multiple Mozilla products including Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey, representing a critical memory safety issue that stems from improper handling of XUL tree removal operations. The flaw exists in the way these applications process property changes that can trigger XUL tree removal, creating a pathway for remote attackers to manipulate application behavior through carefully crafted property assignments. The vulnerability specifically targets the role of property changes in triggering XUL tree removal operations, which are fundamental components in the user interface rendering of these applications. When attackers manipulate unspecified properties within these contexts, the applications can experience deleted memory access patterns that lead to crashes or potentially more severe outcomes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of property change events within XUL (XML User Interface Language) tree structures, which are used extensively in Mozilla applications for displaying hierarchical data. When property changes occur in these contexts, the applications fail to properly validate or restrict the role these changes play in triggering tree removal operations. This improper restriction allows attackers to craft property assignments that can cause the application to attempt operations on memory that has already been freed or deleted, resulting in memory access violations. The vulnerability operates at a deep level within the application's rendering and memory management systems, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited through web content or email messages.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable arbitrary code execution. When applications encounter deleted memory access patterns, they typically crash immediately, causing denial of service. However, under certain conditions and with specific memory layout characteristics, attackers can potentially leverage these memory access violations to execute arbitrary code within the application's context. This represents a significant security risk as it allows remote attackers to compromise systems through seemingly benign web content or email attachments. The vulnerability affects multiple versions across different Mozilla products, indicating a widespread issue in the underlying architecture that requires coordinated patching across affected applications.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patch deployment across all affected versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey. Organizations should prioritize updating to the latest available versions that contain the necessary fixes for this memory safety issue. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing web content filtering and email security measures to prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-476 which describes NULL pointer dereference conditions, and may also relate to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation through memory corruption exploits. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts and ensure that all systems are updated promptly to prevent potential compromise through this memory safety vulnerability.