CVE-2015-4517 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
NetworkUtils.cpp in Mozilla Firefox before 41.0 and Firefox ESR 38.x before 38.3 might allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-4517 resides within the NetworkUtils.cpp component of Mozilla Firefox browser versions prior to 41.0 and Firefox ESR 38.x versions before 38.3. This issue represents a critical memory corruption flaw that manifests through unspecified attack vectors, potentially enabling remote adversaries to compromise system stability and functionality. The vulnerability's classification as a denial of service condition indicates that attackers can manipulate the browser's network utility functions to trigger memory corruption errors that result in application crashes. Such memory corruption vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they can potentially be exploited to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges, though the specific exploitation paths remain undisclosed in the initial CVE description.
The technical nature of this flaw suggests that NetworkUtils.cpp contains code paths that do not properly validate or handle network-related data structures, leading to memory management errors when processing network communications. Memory corruption vulnerabilities typically occur when programs write data beyond allocated memory boundaries, overwrite critical program variables, or manipulate memory pointers incorrectly. The fact that this vulnerability affects both regular Firefox releases and the extended support release versions indicates that the underlying code flaw exists across multiple browser branches, making the impact more widespread. This type of vulnerability often stems from improper bounds checking, use-after-free errors, or buffer overflow conditions that can be triggered through malformed network input or malicious web content.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-4517 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as the potential for unspecified other impacts suggests that attackers might leverage this vulnerability for more sophisticated attacks. When a browser experiences memory corruption leading to crashes, users face immediate disruption to their browsing sessions and potential data loss. However, the unspecified nature of additional impacts indicates that this vulnerability could potentially be exploited for privilege escalation, information disclosure, or even remote code execution depending on the specific memory corruption pattern. The vulnerability affects users across different operating systems and network configurations, making it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where browser stability and security are paramount. Organizations running affected Firefox versions face increased risk of service disruption and potential security breaches that could compromise user data and system integrity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2015-4517 primarily focus on immediate patch deployment and browser version updates to the latest stable releases. Mozilla has addressed this vulnerability through security updates that include memory validation improvements and enhanced input handling within the NetworkUtils.cpp component. System administrators should prioritize updating all affected Firefox installations to versions 41.0 or later for regular releases and 38.3 or later for ESR versions to eliminate exposure to this memory corruption vulnerability. Additional protective measures include implementing network monitoring to detect unusual traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, utilizing browser security extensions that provide additional sandboxing, and maintaining comprehensive backup and recovery procedures to minimize disruption from potential exploitation. From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under the 'Exploitation of Remote Services' and 'Memory Corruption' techniques, while also mapping to CWE-121 for buffer overflow conditions and CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read/write operations that are fundamental to memory corruption vulnerabilities.