CVE-2012-0463 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
The nsWindow implementation in the browser engine in Mozilla Firefox before 3.6.28 and 4.x through 10.0, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.3, Thunderbird before 3.1.20 and 5.0 through 10.0, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.3, and SeaMonkey before 2.8 does not check the validity of an instance after event dispatching, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors, as demonstrated by Mobile Firefox on Android.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0463 represents a critical memory safety issue within the nsWindow implementation of Mozilla Firefox's browser engine. This flaw exists in multiple versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey across different release channels including ESR versions, making it a widespread concern affecting numerous users. The vulnerability specifically targets the window management system that handles event dispatching operations, creating a dangerous condition where the system fails to validate instance integrity after processing events. The root cause stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that should have verified the legitimacy of window instances before continuing execution, allowing malicious actors to exploit this gap through carefully crafted attack vectors.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as a memory corruption issue that can result in application crashes or more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution. When the browser engine processes events through the nsWindow implementation, it does not perform proper validation checks on the window instance state after event handling completes. This oversight creates a window of opportunity for attackers to manipulate memory structures through carefully constructed input or network traffic. The vulnerability's exploitation potential spans across different platforms including mobile environments like Mobile Firefox on Android, indicating the flaw affects both desktop and mobile browser implementations. The lack of proper instance validation creates a path where attackers can corrupt memory layouts and potentially redirect execution flow.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-0463 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential remote code execution capabilities that could compromise user systems. This vulnerability affects organizations and individuals who rely on affected browser versions, creating risk exposure for data integrity and system security. The memory corruption nature means that successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, especially when combined with other attack vectors or when users are running vulnerable software in enterprise environments. The vulnerability's presence in ESR versions indicates that even long-term support releases were not immune to this memory safety issue, potentially affecting organizations that depend on stable but older browser versions for compatibility reasons.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of affected systems by upgrading to patched versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and potentially CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write operations. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could map to techniques involving privilege escalation and execution through memory corruption, particularly when considering the potential for arbitrary code execution. Organizations should implement network monitoring to detect exploitation attempts and consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can identify patterns associated with memory corruption attacks. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper memory validation in browser engine implementations and serves as a reminder of the ongoing need for robust security testing in complex software systems.