CVE-2012-0469 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the mozilla::dom::indexedDB::IDBKeyRange::cycleCollection::Trace function in Mozilla Firefox 4.x through 11.0, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.4, Thunderbird 5.0 through 11.0, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.4, and SeaMonkey before 2.9 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to crafted IndexedDB data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2024
The CVE-2012-0469 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the Indexed Database API implementation of Mozilla Firefox and related applications. This vulnerability specifically affects the mozilla::dom::indexedDB::IDBKeyRange::cycleCollection::Trace function, which handles memory management operations for IndexedDB key ranges during garbage collection cycles. The flaw occurs when the application processes crafted IndexedDB data structures that trigger improper memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the freed memory locations. Such vulnerabilities fall under CWE-416, which categorizes use-after-free conditions as a fundamental memory safety issue where program code attempts to access memory after it has been freed by the system. The vulnerability impacts a wide range of Mozilla products including Firefox versions 4.x through 11.0, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.4, Thunderbird versions 5.0 through 11.0, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.4, and SeaMonkey before 2.9, demonstrating the widespread nature of the flaw across the Mozilla ecosystem.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires remote attackers to craft malicious IndexedDB data structures that can trigger the specific memory management path within the cycle collection mechanism. When the browser processes these crafted data structures, the Trace function fails to properly handle reference counting or memory lifecycle management, leading to a situation where memory allocated for IDBKeyRange objects becomes freed but is subsequently accessed. This type of memory corruption can be leveraged through the attacker-controlled IndexedDB data to overwrite critical memory locations, potentially allowing for arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the browser process. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of web application security and systems programming, where web content can directly influence the memory management behavior of the browser engine through legitimate API usage patterns. According to ATT&CK framework category T1059, this represents a technique for executing malicious code through the manipulation of application memory structures, while also aligning with T1203 which covers the exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities for privilege escalation.
The operational impact of CVE-2012-0469 extends beyond simple remote code execution, as it represents a critical threat vector that can be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring user interaction or specific browser configuration changes. Attackers can deliver malicious web content that, when processed by vulnerable browsers, automatically triggers the memory corruption condition. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in phishing campaigns, drive-by download scenarios, or compromised websites where users are unknowingly exposed to the malicious content. The vulnerability's exploitation can result in complete browser compromise, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands, access user data, install malware, or establish persistent backdoors on affected systems. The widespread adoption of affected versions across different Mozilla products means that organizations and individual users running these vulnerable versions face significant risk, as the attack surface includes not just web browsing but also email processing through Thunderbird and other applications that utilize the same underlying browser engine. The vulnerability's presence in both regular Firefox releases and ESR versions demonstrates that even long-term support branches were not immune to this fundamental memory management flaw, highlighting the importance of timely patching and vulnerability management processes. Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation through official security updates, as the use-after-free condition provides attackers with a direct path to system compromise that can bypass many traditional security controls and defenses.