CVE-2014-1530 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
The docshell implementation in Mozilla Firefox before 29.0, Firefox ESR 24.x before 24.5, Thunderbird before 24.5, and SeaMonkey before 2.26 allows remote attackers to trigger the loading of a URL with a spoofed baseURI property, and conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, via a crafted web site that performs history navigation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2014-1530 represents a critical security flaw in the docshell implementation of Mozilla Firefox and related applications. This vulnerability affects versions prior to Firefox 29.0, Firefox ESR 24.x before 24.5, Thunderbird before 24.5, and SeaMonkey before 2.26, creating a significant attack surface that could be exploited by remote adversaries. The core issue lies in how these applications handle URL loading and baseURI property manipulation during history navigation operations, which creates a pathway for malicious actors to execute cross-site scripting attacks through carefully crafted web content.
The technical flaw stems from improper handling of the baseURI property when navigating through browser history, allowing attackers to manipulate the document's base URI to point to malicious resources. This manipulation occurs during history navigation operations where the browser's docshell component fails to properly validate or sanitize URI references, enabling attackers to inject malicious content that appears to originate from a trusted source. The vulnerability specifically exploits the way browsers manage the relationship between document base URIs and actual loaded resources, creating a condition where spoofed baseURI values can be used to bypass security restrictions that normally protect against XSS attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to conduct sophisticated cross-site scripting attacks without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website. Attackers can craft web pages that manipulate the browser's history navigation to load malicious content while maintaining the appearance of legitimate URLs, effectively bypassing traditional security mechanisms that rely on URI validation. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario where users may be tricked into executing malicious scripts under the guise of trusted domains, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or full system compromise. The vulnerability operates at the browser core level, making it particularly difficult to detect and prevent through conventional web application security measures.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate patching of affected software versions to the latest releases that contain fixes for the docshell implementation. Organizations should implement comprehensive browser update policies to ensure all systems are running patched versions, as the vulnerability affects multiple Mozilla products including Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict content security policies, enabling browser security features such as XSS protection mechanisms, and conducting regular security assessments to identify potential exploitation vectors. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-site Scripting) and represents a variant of attack patterns categorized under ATT&CK technique T1059.007 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript), emphasizing the importance of browser security hardening and proper URI handling in preventing such exploitation scenarios.