CVE-2015-0797 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
GStreamer before 1.4.5, as used in Mozilla Firefox before 38.0, Firefox ESR 31.x before 31.7, and Thunderbird before 31.7 on Linux, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (buffer over-read and application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted H.264 video data in an m4v file.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0797 represents a critical buffer over-read flaw within the GStreamer multimedia framework that affected multiple Mozilla applications including Firefox and Thunderbird on Linux systems. This issue stems from insufficient input validation when processing H.264 video streams within m4v container files, creating a pathway for remote attackers to exploit the system through maliciously crafted media content. The vulnerability specifically impacts GStreamer versions prior to 1.4.5 and affects Mozilla products running on Linux platforms where GStreamer serves as the underlying multimedia processing library. The flaw manifests when the application attempts to parse malformed H.264 video data, leading to memory corruption that can result in either application crashes or more severe exploitation opportunities.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the improper handling of video frame dimensions and buffer allocations within the H.264 parser component of GStreamer. When processing m4v files containing crafted H.264 video streams, the parser fails to validate the boundaries of video frame data, allowing attackers to provide malformed data that exceeds allocated buffer sizes. This buffer over-read condition occurs during the decoding process where the application attempts to read memory locations beyond the intended buffer boundaries. The vulnerability maps to CWE-129, which specifically addresses insufficient validation of the length of input data, and CWE-131, covering improper handling of buffer length. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with memory safety issues that are commonly exploited in the ATT&CK framework under the technique of "Exploitation for Client Execution" and "Memory Injection" tactics.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-0797 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable remote code execution in affected systems. When exploited, the vulnerability can cause applications to crash and terminate unexpectedly, disrupting user sessions and potentially leading to system instability. However, the more serious concern arises from the possibility of arbitrary code execution, where attackers could leverage the buffer over-read to inject and execute malicious code within the context of the affected application. This presents significant risk to end users who may encounter malicious media content while browsing the web or processing email attachments. The vulnerability affects widely used applications including Firefox browsers and Thunderbird email clients, making it particularly dangerous as these applications are frequently used and may be running with elevated privileges on target systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected GStreamer components and the associated Mozilla applications. System administrators should prioritize updating to GStreamer version 1.4.5 or later, which includes proper bounds checking and input validation for H.264 video data processing. Mozilla users must upgrade to Firefox 38.0 or later, Thunderbird 31.7 or later, or their corresponding ESR versions to eliminate exposure to this vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network-level controls to filter potentially malicious media content and consider deploying application whitelisting policies that restrict execution of untrusted media files. Additional defensive measures include enabling sandboxing features within browsers and configuring automatic update mechanisms to ensure timely patch deployment. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and memory safety practices in multimedia processing libraries, as outlined in industry standards such as the OWASP Top Ten and NIST guidelines for secure coding practices. Security monitoring should include detection of unusual application crashes or memory access patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts, while incident response procedures should be updated to address potential remote code execution scenarios involving multimedia processing components.