CVE-2015-0814 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in the browser engine in Mozilla Firefox before 37.0 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-0814 represents a critical security flaw within the browser engine of Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 37.0. This issue falls under the category of unspecified vulnerabilities, indicating that the specific technical details of the flaw were not fully disclosed in the initial reporting. The affected component is the browser engine itself, which serves as the core rendering and processing framework responsible for interpreting web content and executing JavaScript code. Such vulnerabilities in browser engines are particularly dangerous because they can be exploited through web-based attacks without requiring user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as memory corruption issues that can lead to application crashes and potentially arbitrary code execution. Memory corruption vulnerabilities typically occur when an application writes data to memory locations it should not access or modifies memory in unintended ways. In the context of web browsers, these flaws often arise from improper handling of memory during parsing of web content, processing of JavaScript, or manipulation of DOM elements. The unspecified vectors suggest that attackers could exploit multiple different code paths within the browser engine to trigger the same memory corruption behavior, making the vulnerability particularly challenging to defend against and patch comprehensively. This type of vulnerability is commonly classified as a heap overflow or use-after-free condition according to CWE standards, where the browser engine fails to properly manage memory allocation and deallocation.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-0814 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable complete system compromise. When attackers can cause memory corruption in a browser engine, they often gain the ability to execute arbitrary code on the target system, which could lead to full system compromise. The memory corruption can result in unpredictable behavior including application crashes, which constitute a denial of service attack, but the more severe implications involve code execution that could allow attackers to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to the compromised system. This vulnerability affects all users of Firefox versions before 37.0, making it a widespread concern across organizations and individual users who had not yet updated their browsers. The attack surface is particularly broad since browsers are frequently used to access the internet, and the exploitation can occur simply by visiting a malicious website, making it a prime target for automated attacks.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-0814 primarily focus on updating to Firefox version 37.0 or later, which contains patches specifically designed to address the memory corruption issues. Organizations should implement comprehensive patch management processes to ensure all Firefox installations are updated promptly. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of visiting untrusted websites and the importance of keeping their browsers updated. Security configurations such as disabling JavaScript or using sandboxing features can provide additional layers of protection, though these measures may impact usability. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of regular security updates and the risks associated with running outdated software versions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability aligns with techniques involving remote code execution and privilege escalation, as attackers can leverage browser engine flaws to gain elevated privileges on compromised systems. Network administrators should also consider implementing web filtering solutions and monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The incident underscores the critical need for maintaining up-to-date security software and the potential consequences of delaying security patches in widely used applications.