CVE-2012-0844 in Netsurf
Summary
by MITRE
Information-disclosure vulnerability in Netsurf through 2.8 due to a world-readable cookie jar.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2012-0844 represents a critical information disclosure flaw within the Netsurf web browser version 2.8 and earlier. This security weakness stems from improper file permission handling where the browser's cookie jar file is created with world-readable permissions, allowing any user on the system to access sensitive session data and cookies stored by the browser. The issue directly impacts the confidentiality aspect of the security triad by exposing session tokens and authentication information that should remain protected within the user's browsing context.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the browser's failure to properly secure its persistent storage mechanisms. When Netsurf creates its cookie jar file to store user session information, it does not enforce restrictive file permissions that would prevent unauthorized access. This flaw typically occurs during the initialization phase of the browser when it establishes its local storage environment. The cookie jar file contains sensitive information including session identifiers, authentication tokens, and potentially personal data that users expect to remain private within their browsing session. This behavior aligns with CWE-732, which addresses incorrect permission assignment for critical resources, and represents a classic case of insufficient access control implementation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can enable attackers to hijack user sessions and impersonate legitimate users within web applications. An attacker with access to the world-readable cookie jar file can extract session tokens and use them to gain unauthorized access to web services that rely on Netsurf for authentication. This creates a significant risk for users who browse sensitive applications such as banking portals, corporate intranets, or social media platforms where session hijacking could lead to complete account compromise and unauthorized data access. The vulnerability particularly affects multi-user systems where one user's browsing session data becomes accessible to other system users, making it a serious concern in shared computing environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0844 primarily focus on immediate remediation through software updates and manual permission adjustments. Users should upgrade to Netsurf versions 2.9 and later where the issue has been resolved through proper file permission handling. System administrators can implement temporary workarounds by manually setting restrictive permissions on existing cookie jar files using chmod commands to remove world-read permissions. The recommended approach involves setting permissions to 600 or 640 to ensure only the owning user can read the file while maintaining necessary write access for the browser. Additionally, implementing proper file system monitoring and access logging can help detect unauthorized access attempts to sensitive browser storage files. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of following secure coding practices for file handling and access control as outlined in the OWASP Secure Coding Practices and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 related to credential access through file system access. Organizations should also consider implementing comprehensive patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates and maintain awareness of similar vulnerabilities in other browser implementations.