CVE-2012-4196 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Firefox before 16.0.2, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.10, Thunderbird before 16.0.2, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.10, and SeaMonkey before 2.13.2 allow remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy and read the Location object via a prototype property-injection attack that defeats certain protection mechanisms for this object.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2024
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in Mozilla's browser ecosystem that undermines fundamental web security principles. The issue affects multiple Mozilla products including Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey across several versions, specifically targeting the Same Origin Policy enforcement mechanism that is essential for web browser security. The vulnerability enables remote attackers to perform unauthorized access to sensitive location information through a sophisticated prototype property-injection attack that bypasses built-in protection mechanisms designed to safeguard the Location object.
The technical flaw exploits weaknesses in how browsers handle prototype chain manipulation and object property access. When attackers inject malicious prototype properties, they can manipulate the behavior of the Location object in ways that were not intended by the browser's security model. This particular attack vector specifically targets the protection mechanisms that should prevent cross-origin access to location data, allowing attackers to extract sensitive information about a user's current location or navigation state. The vulnerability operates at a deep level within the browser's JavaScript engine, leveraging the prototype-based inheritance system to gain unauthorized access to objects that should remain protected.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows remote attackers to perform reconnaissance and potentially conduct more sophisticated attacks. By bypassing the Same Origin Policy, attackers can access location information that might reveal user behavior patterns, visited websites, or navigation history. This information can be used for targeted phishing attacks, social engineering, or to build detailed profiles of user activities. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates silently in the background without user awareness, making it difficult to detect through standard security monitoring. The attack requires no special privileges or user interaction, making it a passive threat that can be exploited through malicious web pages or compromised websites.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patch deployment across all affected versions of Mozilla products, as the vulnerability represents a fundamental security flaw that cannot be effectively addressed through configuration changes alone. Organizations should prioritize updating to the patched versions mentioned in the advisory, specifically Firefox 16.0.2, Thunderbird 16.0.2, and SeaMonkey 2.13.2. Additionally, network security controls should implement strict web filtering and monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses inadequate access control mechanisms, and relates to ATT&CK technique T1056.001 for input validation and prototype pollution attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing browser security extensions and monitoring for unusual JavaScript behavior patterns that might indicate prototype manipulation attempts.