CVE-2011-2370 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Firefox before 5.0 does not properly enforce the whitelist for the xpinstall functionality, which allows remote attackers to trigger an installation dialog for a (1) add-on or (2) theme via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/13/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2011-2370 represents a significant security flaw in Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 5.0, specifically concerning the xpinstall functionality that governs add-on and theme installations. This issue stems from inadequate enforcement of whitelist restrictions that should normally prevent unauthorized installation prompts from appearing in the browser interface. The flaw exists within Firefox's security architecture where the browser fails to properly validate installation requests against its approved whitelist, creating a potential attack vector for malicious actors.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit unspecified vectors that trigger installation dialogs for either add-ons or themes without proper authorization. This represents a failure in Firefox's security model where the xpinstall functionality, designed to control and restrict installation processes, becomes compromised due to insufficient validation mechanisms. The whitelist enforcement mechanism that should normally prevent unauthorized installations becomes ineffective, enabling attackers to present malicious installation prompts to users who would otherwise be protected by Firefox's security policies.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a serious risk for end users as it allows attackers to potentially install malicious add-ons or themes without user consent or awareness. The installation dialog that appears could be used to deceive users into installing harmful software, potentially leading to further security compromises including data theft, system modification, or additional malware deployment. This attack vector undermines the fundamental security model that Firefox employs to protect users from unauthorized software installations, effectively weakening the browser's security posture.
The impact of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1176 for "Browser Extensions") within the adversary's kill chain. Organizations and individual users running affected Firefox versions face increased risk of targeted attacks that exploit this weakness to deliver malicious payloads. The vulnerability particularly affects users who may be less security-aware and more likely to inadvertently approve installation prompts that appear legitimate but are actually malicious.
Effective mitigations for this vulnerability include immediate upgrade to Firefox version 5.0 or later where the whitelist enforcement has been properly implemented and tested. Organizations should also implement additional security measures such as browser hardening policies, network-based restrictions on installation sources, and user education about the risks of approving unknown installations. Security teams should monitor for any exploitation attempts and ensure that all systems are updated to versions that properly address this whitelist enforcement weakness. Regular security assessments should verify that the xpinstall functionality operates correctly and that no unauthorized installation paths exist within the browser environment.