CVE-2013-1684 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the mozilla::dom::HTMLMediaElement::LookupMediaElementURITable function in Mozilla Firefox before 22.0, Firefox ESR 17.x before 17.0.7, Thunderbird before 17.0.7, and Thunderbird ESR 17.x before 17.0.7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption) via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1684 represents a critical use-after-free flaw within the multimedia handling components of Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird browsers. This issue resides in the mozilla::dom::HTMLMediaElement::LookupMediaElementURITable function which processes media element URI lookups in web content. The flaw manifests when the browser encounters malformed or crafted web content that triggers improper memory management during media element processing, creating conditions where freed memory locations are accessed after being reallocated for other purposes. The vulnerability affects multiple browser versions including Firefox versions prior to 22.0, Firefox ESR 17.x versions before 17.0.7, and Thunderbird versions before 17.0.7, indicating a widespread impact across the Mozilla ecosystem.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when remote attackers craft malicious web pages containing specially constructed media elements that trigger the flawed memory management routine. When the browser processes these elements, the LookupMediaElementURITable function frees memory associated with media element references but continues to reference this freed memory during subsequent operations. This use-after-free condition creates heap memory corruption that can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected browser process. The vulnerability's classification as a heap-based memory corruption issue aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions that occur when memory is accessed after it has been freed. The flaw represents a fundamental breakdown in memory safety mechanisms within the browser's DOM handling subsystem.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full remote code execution capabilities. Attackers can exploit this condition to inject malicious code into the browser's memory space, potentially leading to complete system compromise when the browser is running with elevated privileges. The heap corruption resulting from this flaw can be reliably triggered through web-based attacks, making it particularly dangerous as it requires no local interaction from users beyond visiting malicious websites. The vulnerability's presence in both Firefox and Thunderbird applications creates a broad attack surface, as these browsers are widely used for email and web browsing activities. This flaw can be weaponized through various attack vectors including phishing campaigns, malicious advertisements, or compromised websites that serve content designed to trigger the specific memory management failure.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-1684 focus primarily on immediate software updates and patches provided by Mozilla to address the underlying memory management issues. Organizations should prioritize updating to patched versions of Firefox 22.0, Thunderbird 17.0.7, and their respective ESR versions to eliminate the vulnerability. Browser hardening measures including enabling sandboxing features, implementing content security policies, and deploying web application firewalls can provide additional protective layers against exploitation attempts. Security researchers should monitor for related attack patterns and potential exploitation attempts targeting this specific memory corruption vulnerability. The vulnerability's alignment with ATT&CK technique T1203, which covers exploitation for privilege escalation, highlights the need for comprehensive security monitoring and incident response procedures to detect and respond to potential exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of browser configurations and network traffic analysis can help identify attempts to leverage this vulnerability in targeted attacks.