CVE-2013-0744 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the TableBackgroundPainter::TableBackgroundData::Destroy function in Mozilla Firefox before 18.0, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.12 and 17.x before 17.0.2, Thunderbird before 17.0.2, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.12 and 17.x before 17.0.2, and SeaMonkey before 2.15 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption) via an HTML document with a table containing many columns and column groups.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/20/2021
The CVE-2013-0744 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the rendering engine of Mozilla Firefox and related applications, specifically affecting the TableBackgroundPainter::TableBackgroundData::Destroy function. This vulnerability manifests when processing HTML documents containing tables with an excessive number of columns and column groups, creating conditions where freed memory blocks are accessed after their intended lifecycle has ended. The flaw operates at the intersection of memory management and graphical rendering, where the browser's table background painting mechanism fails to properly handle memory deallocation for table-related data structures, leading to potential exploitation scenarios that can result in arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management practices within the browser's internal rendering pipeline. When processing complex table structures with numerous columns and column groups, the TableBackgroundPainter component allocates memory to store background rendering data for table elements. However, during the destruction phase of this data structure, the system fails to properly invalidate references to freed memory blocks, creating a scenario where subsequent operations may attempt to access memory that has already been deallocated. This use-after-free condition occurs because the Destroy function does not adequately track or clear all references to the memory before it is freed, allowing for potential reuse of the memory in unintended contexts. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be triggered through web content, making it a remote code execution vector that requires no user interaction beyond visiting a malicious webpage.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-0744 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass full system compromise capabilities. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code within the context of the browser process, potentially leading to complete system compromise depending on the target environment and user privileges. The heap memory corruption resulting from this flaw can be exploited through various techniques including heap spraying and return-oriented programming to bypass modern security mitigations such as DEP and ASLR. The vulnerability affects multiple Mozilla products including Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey across several versions, creating widespread exposure across different user bases and making it a particularly attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to maximize their exploitation scope. The complexity of table rendering in web browsers makes this type of vulnerability particularly challenging to detect and prevent, as the conditions leading to the use-after-free are specific to certain rendering scenarios.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-0744 primarily focus on immediate software updates and deployment of vendor-provided patches, as the vulnerability requires no user interaction to exploit and can be delivered through standard web browsing activities. Organizations should prioritize patch management to ensure all affected versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey are updated to their secure releases, with particular attention to ESR versions that may have extended support cycles. Additional defensive measures include implementing web content filtering solutions to block access to known malicious domains, deploying browser security extensions that can detect and prevent exploitation attempts, and configuring network-level protections such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious traffic patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes use-after-free conditions, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for remote code execution through web browsers, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security controls across multiple defense layers to protect against such sophisticated exploitation vectors.