CVE-2012-0471 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability 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 inject arbitrary web script or HTML via a multibyte character set.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/21/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-0471 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting multiple Mozilla products including Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey across various versions. This vulnerability specifically exploits the handling of multibyte character sets within the browser's rendering engine, creating a pathway for remote attackers to execute malicious code through web scripts or HTML injection. The flaw exists in the way these applications process and interpret multibyte character encodings, which can be manipulated to bypass security checks and inject harmful content into web pages. The vulnerability affects 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, indicating a widespread impact across the Mozilla ecosystem.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the improper handling of multibyte character sets during the parsing and rendering of web content. When browsers encounter multibyte characters in web pages, they typically use specific character encoding schemes to interpret and display the content correctly. However, this particular flaw allows attackers to craft malicious input that exploits the interaction between these encoding mechanisms and the browser's XSS protection systems. The vulnerability specifically targets the way browsers process character set information, enabling attackers to inject script code that executes in the context of the victim's browser session. This type of attack falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the flaw is classified as a weakness in input validation and output encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it provides remote attackers with the ability to execute arbitrary code within the context of a user's browser session. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform session hijacking, steal sensitive information, redirect users to malicious websites, or execute other harmful actions that compromise user security. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited through various attack vectors including email content in Thunderbird, web page content in Firefox, and other web-based interactions. Users who are not aware of the vulnerability may inadvertently trigger the malicious code when viewing compromised web pages or email messages, making this a persistent threat to user security. The vulnerability's presence in both browser and email client applications increases the attack surface and potential impact across different user scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0471 primarily involve updating to patched versions of the affected Mozilla products. Users should immediately upgrade to Firefox 11.0.4, Firefox ESR 10.0.4, Thunderbird 11.0.4, Thunderbird ESR 10.0.4, and SeaMonkey 2.9 or later versions to address the vulnerability. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all affected systems receive updates promptly. Additional protective measures include enabling strict content security policies, implementing proper input validation mechanisms, and educating users about the risks of visiting untrusted websites or opening suspicious email attachments. Security professionals should also consider deploying web application firewalls and monitoring systems to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper character encoding handling in web applications and highlights the need for robust input validation mechanisms as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's defense in depth strategies for preventing code injection attacks.