CVE-2014-8637 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Firefox before 35.0 and SeaMonkey before 2.32 do not properly initialize memory for BMP images, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information from process memory via a crafted web page that triggers the rendering of malformed BMP data within a CANVAS element.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/02/2022
This vulnerability affects Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 35.0 and SeaMonkey versions prior to 2.32, representing a critical memory corruption issue that arises during the processing of BMP image files within web browsers. The flaw stems from improper memory initialization when handling malformed BMP data, specifically within the CANVAS element rendering context. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious web pages that contain specially designed BMP image data, which when rendered in the browser's canvas element triggers the memory corruption vulnerability.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the browser's image processing pipeline failing to properly allocate or initialize memory regions when parsing BMP format images. When a malformed BMP image is encountered within a CANVAS element, the memory management system does not adequately validate the image data structure before attempting to render it. This insufficient validation leads to memory regions containing uninitialized data being exposed to the rendering process, creating potential information disclosure pathways. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates within the browser's rendering engine, where sensitive memory contents from other processes or the operating system may be inadvertently exposed through memory leaks or uninitialized memory reads.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to users who browse the internet without proper security updates, as it allows remote attackers to potentially extract sensitive information from the victim's process memory. The attack vector requires the user to visit a malicious webpage containing the crafted BMP data, making it a client-side exploitation scenario that can bypass traditional network-based security measures. The information disclosure could potentially include cryptographic keys, session tokens, personal data, or other sensitive information stored in memory, depending on what applications or processes are running in the browser's memory space.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes "Out-of-bounds Read," and represents a memory safety issue where the application reads memory beyond its allocated boundaries. It also corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1059.007, "Command and Scripting Interpreter: JavaScript,' as the exploitation occurs through JavaScript-based CANVAS rendering elements. The memory initialization flaw creates a pathway for attackers to harvest sensitive data from the process memory space, potentially compromising user privacy and system security. Organizations should immediately apply the security patches released by Mozilla and SeaMonkey to address this vulnerability, as it represents a significant exposure that can lead to data breaches and privacy violations. Additionally, implementing web filtering solutions and maintaining up-to-date browser versions should be prioritized to prevent exploitation of this memory corruption vulnerability.