CVE-2011-3653 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Firefox before 8.0 and Thunderbird before 8.0 on Mac OS X do not properly interact with the GPU memory behavior of a certain driver for Intel integrated GPUs, which allows remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy and read image data via vectors related to WebGL textures.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/26/2021
This vulnerability affects Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 8.0 and Thunderbird versions prior to 8.0 when running on Mac OS X systems with specific Intel integrated GPU drivers. The flaw stems from improper handling of GPU memory behavior during WebGL texture operations, creating a critical security gap that undermines fundamental web security mechanisms. The vulnerability specifically targets the interaction between browser graphics rendering and GPU memory management, exploiting a mismatch in how memory is allocated and accessed during WebGL operations.
The technical implementation involves a memory management issue where WebGL textures are not properly isolated between different origins when processed through Intel GPU drivers. This occurs because the browser fails to correctly enforce memory boundaries when sharing GPU resources between different web contexts. Attackers can leverage this by crafting malicious web content that accesses WebGL textures from other origins, effectively bypassing the Same Origin Policy that normally prevents cross-site data access. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of graphics driver behavior and browser security policies, creating an unexpected attack vector through GPU memory handling rather than traditional web application flaws.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote code execution capabilities through data exfiltration. An attacker could potentially access sensitive image data from other websites, including user-generated content, corporate assets, or personal information stored in WebGL textures. This represents a significant breach of web security principles and could lead to privacy violations, intellectual property theft, or further exploitation opportunities. The vulnerability affects systems where Intel integrated graphics are used, making it particularly concerning for Mac OS X users who rely on these graphics configurations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate software updates to versions 8.0 or later where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper GPU memory isolation mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level protections such as content filtering and web application firewalls to reduce exposure. The fix implemented by Mozilla addresses the core issue through enhanced memory management in WebGL texture handling and proper GPU resource isolation. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-122 (Heap Overflow) and CWE-200 (Information Exposure) categories, and represents a technique that could be mapped to ATT&CK tactic TA0001 (Initial Access) and technique T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) through the potential for further exploitation. System administrators should also monitor for unusual GPU memory access patterns and implement regular security assessments to identify similar memory management vulnerabilities across the enterprise.