CVE-2014-1541 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Use-after-free vulnerability in the RefreshDriverTimer::TickDriver function in the SMIL Animation Controller in Mozilla Firefox before 30.0, Firefox ESR 24.x before 24.6, and Thunderbird before 24.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption) via crafted web content.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/25/2025
The CVE-2014-1541 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free flaw within Mozilla Firefox's SMIL animation controller component, specifically affecting the RefreshDriverTimer::TickDriver function. This vulnerability exists in Firefox versions prior to 30.0, Firefox ESR 24.x versions before 24.6, and Thunderbird versions before 24.6, making it a widespread issue affecting multiple Mozilla products. The flaw stems from improper memory management where freed memory locations are accessed after being deallocated, creating a dangerous condition that can be exploited by malicious actors. Such vulnerabilities fall under CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions, and represent a fundamental weakness in memory safety mechanisms that can lead to severe security implications.
The technical execution of this vulnerability occurs when crafted web content triggers the SMIL animation controller to process malformed or specially constructed animation data. The RefreshDriverTimer::TickDriver function, responsible for managing animation timing and updates, fails to properly validate or manage references to memory objects during animation processing. When the animation controller processes malicious input, it can cause a memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the same memory location, resulting in heap corruption. This particular flaw demonstrates how animation processing components can become attack vectors, as the SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) animation system provides complex memory management scenarios that are prone to timing issues and improper reference handling.
The operational impact of CVE-2014-1541 extends beyond simple denial of service to include remote code execution capabilities, making it particularly dangerous for web-based attacks. Attackers can craft malicious web pages containing specially designed SMIL animation content that, when rendered by vulnerable browsers, triggers the use-after-free condition. The heap corruption resulting from this vulnerability can be exploited to overwrite critical memory locations, potentially allowing attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected browser process. This represents a classic remote code execution vulnerability that can be leveraged for browser exploitation, data theft, or system compromise, as outlined in the attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under techniques involving memory corruption and code injection.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected software versions to ensure proper memory management and reference validation within the SMIL animation controller. Organizations should prioritize updating Firefox, Firefox ESR, and Thunderbird installations to versions 30.0, 24.6, and 24.6 respectively, as these releases contain the necessary fixes for the memory management issues. Additionally, implementing content security policies and restricting access to potentially malicious web content can provide additional defensive layers. Network administrators should consider deploying web application firewalls and browser security extensions that can detect and block suspicious SMIL content. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security audits and memory safety reviews of complex animation and rendering systems, as these components often contain intricate memory management logic that can introduce subtle but critical flaws. Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing techniques and privilege separation to limit the potential damage from successful exploitation attempts.