CVE-2014-1508 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
The libxul.so!gfxContext::Polygon function 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 information from process memory, cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds read and application crash), or possibly bypass the Same Origin Policy via vectors involving MathML polygon rendering.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2014-1508 represents a critical security flaw within the Mozilla Firefox browser and related applications that affects versions prior to 28.0, Firefox ESR 24.x before 24.4, Thunderbird before 24.4, and SeaMonkey before 2.25. This issue resides in the libxul.so component, specifically within the gfxContext::Polygon function that handles graphical rendering operations. The flaw manifests during the processing of MathML polygon elements, which are mathematical markup language constructs used to display complex mathematical expressions on web pages. The vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and memory access validation when rendering these polygonal elements, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the application's graphical rendering engine.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves an out-of-bounds read condition that occurs when the gfxContext::Polygon function processes malformed MathML polygon data. This function is responsible for drawing polygonal shapes within the browser's rendering context, but fails to properly validate the input parameters before accessing memory locations. Attackers can craft specially designed MathML content that triggers the vulnerable code path, causing the application to read memory beyond the allocated bounds of the intended data structures. This memory access violation can result in several security implications including information disclosure, where sensitive process memory contents may be exposed to attackers, application crashes due to memory corruption, and potentially more severe consequences such as privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-1508 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it provides attackers with multiple attack vectors that can be leveraged for more sophisticated exploits. The vulnerability's ability to bypass the Same Origin Policy represents a particularly concerning aspect, as this security mechanism prevents web pages from accessing content from different origins, thereby protecting user privacy and data integrity. When this policy can be circumvented, it allows attackers to access potentially sensitive data from other domains, undermining fundamental web security principles. The attack scenario typically involves hosting malicious web content that contains crafted MathML polygon elements, which when rendered by the vulnerable browser, trigger the memory access violation. This vulnerability can be particularly dangerous in targeted attacks where attackers seek to gather information from users' browsers or to establish persistent access through more advanced exploitation techniques.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK framework techniques including T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1557 Man-in-the-Middle, as attackers can leverage the memory disclosure capabilities to gather information about the target system. From a CWE perspective, this vulnerability maps to CWE-125 Out-of-bounds Read, which is a common class of memory safety issues that occur when programs access memory beyond the boundaries of allocated buffers. The vulnerability also relates to CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, as the insufficient validation of MathML polygon parameters leads to the memory access violation. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey, as well as implementing network-based security controls such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious MathML content. Browser security configurations should be reviewed to ensure that unnecessary rendering capabilities are disabled, and users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites that may contain malicious content designed to exploit this and similar vulnerabilities.