CVE-2014-1482 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
RasterImage.cpp in Mozilla Firefox before 27.0, Firefox ESR 24.x before 24.3, Thunderbird before 24.3, and SeaMonkey before 2.24 does not prevent access to discarded data, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (incorrect write operations) via crafted image data, as demonstrated by Goo Create.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1482 represents a critical memory safety issue affecting Mozilla Firefox and related applications. This flaw exists within the RasterImage.cpp component which handles image processing operations, specifically when dealing with image data that has been marked for deletion or reuse. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms that fail to properly prevent access to memory regions that have already been freed or are in the process of being reclaimed by the application's memory management system. This particular issue manifests when the software attempts to write to memory locations that should no longer be accessible, creating a scenario where malicious actors can exploit this behavior to manipulate program execution flow.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which describes the use of freed memory condition where a program accesses memory after it has been freed, and also relates to CWE-787, the out-of-bounds write vulnerability that occurs when a program writes data past the boundaries of a fixed-length buffer. Attackers can leverage this flaw by crafting specially designed image files that trigger the problematic code path during image decoding operations. When the application processes these malicious image files, it attempts to write data to memory regions that have already been discarded, potentially leading to memory corruption that can be exploited for arbitrary code execution. The demonstration of this vulnerability through Goo Create showcases how image processing libraries can be weaponized to exploit memory management flaws in web browsers.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to users of affected software versions, as it enables remote code execution attacks that can be delivered through web pages or email attachments containing malicious image content. The impact extends beyond simple exploitation to include potential denial of service conditions where applications may crash or become unstable when processing the crafted image data. The vulnerability affects not only Firefox but also Thunderbird and SeaMonkey, indicating a widespread issue within the Mozilla ecosystem that requires immediate attention. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1059.007 for the execution of arbitrary code and T1499.004 for the disruption of services through resource consumption and system instability.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires attackers to craft specific image files that trigger the memory management error during the decoding process. The attack surface is broad as it involves common image formats that browsers support, making it particularly dangerous for web-based attacks. Organizations should prioritize updating to patched versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey, as these releases contain fixes that properly validate memory access and prevent access to discarded data structures. The mitigation strategy involves not only applying security patches but also implementing network-based protections such as content filtering and web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious image content. Additionally, user education regarding the risks of opening untrusted image files and the importance of keeping software updated remains crucial in preventing exploitation of this vulnerability.