CVE-2011-0078 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the browser engine in Mozilla Firefox 3.5.x before 3.5.19 and 3.6.x before 3.6.17, Thunderbird before 3.1.10, and SeaMonkey before 2.0.14 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2011-0072, CVE-2011-0074, CVE-2011-0075, and CVE-2011-0077.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/06/2021
This vulnerability affects the browser engine components of several Mozilla products including Firefox 3.5.x before 3.5.19 and 3.6.x before 3.6.17, Thunderbird before 3.1.10, and SeaMonkey before 2.0.14. The unspecified nature of the vulnerability vectors makes it particularly concerning as it could encompass multiple attack surfaces within the browser engine. The vulnerability resides in the core rendering and processing capabilities of these applications, potentially allowing attackers to exploit memory corruption issues that could lead to either denial of service conditions or arbitrary code execution. This type of vulnerability represents a critical weakness in the software's memory management and input validation mechanisms, as it allows remote attackers to manipulate the application's memory state from external sources.
The technical flaw manifests as memory corruption issues that can result in application crashes or more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability operates at a fundamental level within the browser engine where memory management, parsing of web content, and rendering processes interact with user input. The memory corruption aspect suggests that the vulnerable code fails to properly validate or sanitize input data before processing it, potentially allowing attackers to craft malicious payloads that overwrite memory locations or manipulate program execution flow. Such vulnerabilities typically arise from buffer overflows, use-after-free conditions, or other memory management errors that have been classified under common weakness enumerations such as CWE-119 for memory corruption and CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to potentially enable full system compromise. When remote attackers can cause memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution, they gain the capability to run malicious code within the context of the affected application. This creates a pathway for attackers to escalate privileges, install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to affected systems. The vulnerability affects multiple Mozilla products simultaneously, amplifying the potential attack surface and impact. Organizations using these affected versions face significant risk as the vulnerability can be exploited through standard web browsing activities, making it particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where users frequently access untrusted web content. The presence of multiple affected versions across different product lines also complicates patch management and security remediation efforts.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate patching of all affected versions to prevent exploitation. Organizations must ensure that Firefox 3.5.19 or later, Firefox 3.6.17 or later, Thunderbird 3.1.10 or later, and SeaMonkey 2.0.14 or later are deployed across all systems. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls, restricting access to potentially malicious websites, and monitoring for suspicious network activity. Security teams should also consider deploying exploit prevention technologies and maintaining comprehensive incident response procedures. The vulnerability's classification under attack techniques such as those described in the attack pattern taxonomy suggests that it may be exploited through web-based attacks, potentially involving crafted HTML content or malicious web applications. Organizations should also review their security policies and ensure that users are educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and downloading potentially malicious content. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify any remaining instances of the affected software versions within the organization's infrastructure.