CVE-2013-0799 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the Mozilla Maintenance Service in Mozilla Firefox before 20.0, Firefox ESR 17.x before 17.0.5, Thunderbird before 17.0.5, and Thunderbird ESR 17.x before 17.0.5 on Windows allows local users to gain privileges via crafted arguments.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/31/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-0799 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the Mozilla Maintenance Service component of several Mozilla applications running on Windows operating systems. This security weakness affects Firefox versions prior to 20.0 and Firefox ESR 17.x versions before 17.0.5, as well as Thunderbird and its ESR variants with corresponding version restrictions. The flaw resides specifically within the maintenance service executable that handles various administrative functions for the Mozilla suite of applications, making it a prime target for privilege escalation attacks. The buffer overflow occurs when the service processes command-line arguments without adequate bounds checking, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by local attackers to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation within the Mozilla Maintenance Service's argument parsing mechanism. When the service receives crafted command-line parameters, it fails to properly validate the length of input data before copying it into fixed-size buffers. This classic buffer overflow condition allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent memory locations, potentially corrupting the service's execution flow and enabling code injection attacks. The vulnerability specifically manifests when the service processes user-supplied arguments during its operation, making it particularly dangerous as it can be triggered through normal application usage scenarios. The flaw operates at the kernel level due to the maintenance service's elevated privileges, meaning successful exploitation can result in full system compromise rather than mere application-level damage.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-0799 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass potential complete system compromise and persistent backdoor access. Local attackers who can execute code on a target system can leverage this vulnerability to gain SYSTEM-level privileges, effectively bypassing standard user access controls and security boundaries. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where multiple users may have access to systems running vulnerable Mozilla applications. The exploitability of this flaw means that an attacker with local access can potentially establish persistent access to the compromised system, making it a preferred target for advanced persistent threat campaigns. The vulnerability also affects both standard Firefox releases and Extended Support Release versions, indicating a widespread impact across different product lines and support cycles.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-0799 primarily focus on immediate application updates and system hardening measures. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to patched versions of Firefox 20.0+, Firefox ESR 17.0.5+, Thunderbird 17.0.5+, and Thunderbird ESR 17.0.5+ to eliminate the vulnerability entirely. System administrators should also implement additional security controls such as disabling the Mozilla Maintenance Service where possible, implementing strict application whitelisting policies, and monitoring for unusual service execution patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which addresses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1068, which covers 'Exploitation for Privilege Escalation' within the adversary tactics framework. Network segmentation and privilege separation measures should be implemented to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation, while regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other system components.