CVE-2014-1505 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
The SVG filter implementation in Mozilla Firefox before 28.0, Firefox ESR 24.x before 24.4, Thunderbird before 24.4, and SeaMonkey before 2.25 allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive displacement-correlation information, and possibly bypass the Same Origin Policy and read text from a different domain, via a timing attack involving feDisplacementMap elements, a related issue to CVE-2013-1693.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1505 represents a critical security flaw in the Scalable Vector Graphics filter implementation within Mozilla Firefox and related applications. This vulnerability specifically affects versions prior to Firefox 28.0, Firefox ESR 24.x before 24.4, Thunderbird before 24.4, and SeaMonkey before 2.25. The flaw stems from how these applications handle feDisplacementMap elements within SVG filter operations, creating a timing-based information leakage mechanism that can be exploited by remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to cross-domain resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits a timing attack vector through the feDisplacementMap filter element in SVG graphics processing. When processing certain SVG filter operations, the affected browsers exhibit measurable timing variations that correlate with the displacement of pixel data, allowing attackers to infer sensitive information about the underlying memory layout and data structures. This timing correlation creates a side-channel attack surface where attackers can determine whether specific memory locations contain data from different domains, effectively bypassing the Same Origin Policy that normally prevents cross-domain data access. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-203, which specifically addresses "Information Exposure Through Timing Discrepancies," and represents a sophisticated example of how seemingly innocuous graphics processing operations can create security risks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables attackers to perform cross-domain data exfiltration and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information. The timing attack mechanism allows adversaries to reconstruct text content from different domains by measuring the time differences in processing feDisplacementMap elements with various displacement values. This capability significantly undermines the browser's security model and can be leveraged to access user data, session information, or other sensitive resources that should be restricted by the same origin policy. The vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004, which covers application layer protocol manipulation, and demonstrates how graphics processing operations can be weaponized for information leakage attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2014-1505 require immediate software updates to patched versions of affected browsers and applications. Organizations should prioritize updating Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey installations to versions that contain the necessary security patches addressing the timing attack vulnerability in SVG filter processing. Additionally, network administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies that limit SVG processing capabilities where possible. The vulnerability highlights the importance of thorough security testing for graphics processing components and demonstrates how seemingly benign features can create significant security risks when not properly secured against timing-based attacks. Security teams should also monitor for similar vulnerabilities in other graphics processing libraries and ensure comprehensive testing of all SVG filter operations to prevent similar side-channel attacks from compromising user security.