CVE-2013-1741 in Enterprise Manager
Summary
by MITRE
Integer overflow in Mozilla Network Security Services (NSS) 3.15 before 3.15.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via a large size value.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2013-1741 represents a critical integer overflow flaw within Mozilla Network Security Services version 3.15 and earlier releases. This issue affects the core cryptographic library that powers numerous Mozilla products including Firefox and Thunderbird, as well as other applications that depend on NSS for secure communications. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation when processing cryptographic data structures, specifically related to how the system handles large size values during cryptographic operations. The flaw exists in the way NSS processes buffer sizes and memory allocation parameters, creating a scenario where maliciously crafted input can cause integer arithmetic to overflow beyond the maximum representable value for the data type being used.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the cryptographic processing modules of NSS where size parameters are used to determine buffer allocations and data processing limits. When an attacker provides a large size value that exceeds the maximum value that can be represented by the integer type used in the calculation, the integer overflow occurs, potentially resulting in negative or unexpectedly large values. This condition can lead to memory corruption when the system attempts to allocate buffers based on these malformed size parameters, causing the application to crash or behave unpredictably. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it can be exploited remotely through network-based attacks without requiring authentication or user interaction, making it a significant concern for web browsers and other networked applications that rely on NSS for secure communications.
The operational impact of CVE-2013-1741 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the integer overflow can potentially lead to more severe consequences including arbitrary code execution or information disclosure depending on the specific context in which the vulnerability is exploited. This vulnerability affects the fundamental security infrastructure of applications using NSS, potentially compromising the integrity of secure communications channels and making systems vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks or other cryptographic attacks. The flaw impacts a wide range of applications including web browsers, email clients, and server applications that utilize NSS for SSL/TLS encryption and certificate handling. Given the widespread adoption of NSS in the security ecosystem, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to enterprise networks and individual users who rely on secure communications for sensitive data exchanges.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2013-1741 focus primarily on immediate patching and updating to NSS version 3.15.3 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to prevent the integer overflow conditions. Organizations should prioritize updating their systems and applications that depend on NSS, particularly web browsers, email clients, and any custom applications using the library. Network administrators should implement monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while security teams should conduct vulnerability assessments to identify systems running vulnerable versions of NSS. The fix addresses the root cause by implementing proper bounds checking and input validation for size parameters, ensuring that integer overflow conditions cannot occur during cryptographic operations. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-190, Integer Overflow or Wraparound, and represents a common pattern in security vulnerabilities where insufficient validation of user-supplied data leads to critical system instability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1499.004 technique for Network Denial of Service, while also potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks through privilege escalation or information disclosure if exploited successfully.