CVE-2013-1692 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
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 do not prevent the inclusion of body data in an XMLHttpRequest HEAD request, which makes it easier for remote attackers to conduct cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks via a crafted web site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2021
The vulnerability described in CVE-2013-1692 represents a significant security flaw in Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird email clients that persisted across multiple versions. This issue stems from the improper handling of XMLHttpRequest HEAD requests, where the software failed to adequately prevent the inclusion of body data in these specific request types. The flaw exists in versions prior to Firefox 22.0 and Firefox ESR 17.x before 17.0.7, as well as Thunderbird versions before 17.0.7 and Thunderbird ESR 17.x before 17.0.7. The technical nature of this vulnerability allows malicious actors to exploit the inconsistent behavior between different HTTP request methods, creating opportunities for unauthorized actions to be performed on behalf of authenticated users.
The core technical flaw involves the XMLHttpRequest API implementation where HEAD requests should not contain request bodies according to HTTP specifications, yet the affected browsers permitted this inclusion. This behavior creates a dangerous inconsistency that attackers can leverage to bypass security mechanisms designed to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks. When a web application relies on HEAD requests for certain operations, the ability to inject body data through XMLHttpRequest can enable attackers to construct malicious requests that appear legitimate to the target application. This particular vulnerability maps directly to CWE-346, which addresses the lack of proper validation of the source of data, and more specifically to CWE-352, which covers Cross-Site Request Forgery. The flaw demonstrates how improper handling of HTTP protocol specifications can create security weaknesses that attackers can exploit.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it significantly lowers the barrier for conducting successful CSRF attacks against users of affected browsers. Attackers can craft malicious websites that utilize the XMLHttpRequest API to send HEAD requests containing body data, potentially triggering unintended actions on web applications that users have authenticated with. This capability enables attackers to perform operations such as changing user settings, making purchases, or accessing sensitive information without the user's knowledge or consent. The vulnerability particularly affects web applications that implement CSRF protection mechanisms relying on the assumption that HEAD requests cannot contain body data, thereby creating a false sense of security. This flaw can be exploited in conjunction with other attack vectors to create more sophisticated attacks that bypass traditional security controls.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-1692 involve immediate upgrades to patched versions of Firefox and Thunderbird, as well as implementing additional application-level protections. Organizations should ensure all users are running updated browser versions that address this specific vulnerability. Application developers should implement robust CSRF protection mechanisms that do not rely solely on HTTP method validation, including the use of anti-CSRF tokens and proper request validation. Network administrators should monitor for exploitation attempts and implement web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious XMLHttpRequest patterns. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the technique of "Exploitation for Client Execution" where attackers leverage browser vulnerabilities to execute malicious code or perform unauthorized actions. Security teams should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and other browser security controls to limit the potential impact of such vulnerabilities. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify and remediate similar issues in other browser components and web applications.