CVE-2015-7190 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
The Search feature in Mozilla Firefox before 42.0 on Android through 4.4 supports search-engine URL registration through an intent and can access this URL in a privileged context in conjunction with the crash reporter, which allows attackers to read log files and visit file: URLs of HTML documents via a crafted application.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7190 represents a critical security flaw in Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 42.0 on Android platforms through version 4.4. This issue specifically targets the search functionality within the mobile browser implementation, creating a privilege escalation vector that enables malicious actors to access sensitive system resources and data. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of search-engine URL registration through Android intents, which are used to facilitate communication between different applications on the mobile platform. When combined with the crash reporter functionality, this flaw creates a dangerous attack surface that can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to system information.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves leveraging Android's intent system to register malicious search-engine URLs that can be executed within a privileged context. This privilege escalation occurs because Firefox fails to properly validate or sanitize the URLs received through intent-based registration mechanisms. Attackers can craft specially designed applications that register malicious URLs with the search engine, which then get executed when the crash reporter attempts to process error information. The vulnerability allows for arbitrary file access through file: URLs, enabling attackers to read log files and potentially access HTML documents stored locally on the device. This represents a significant breach in Firefox's security model, as it allows untrusted applications to access sensitive data that should remain protected within the browser's sandboxed environment.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7190 extends beyond simple data theft, as it provides attackers with the capability to read system logs that may contain sensitive information about user activities, application behavior, and system configurations. The ability to visit file: URLs through this vulnerability means that attackers can potentially access local HTML documents, which might contain personal information, session data, or other sensitive content. This vulnerability affects users of Android versions through 4.4, which represents a significant portion of mobile devices that were in use during the affected timeframe. The combination of the search engine registration feature and crash reporter functionality creates a persistent attack vector that can be exploited repeatedly, making it particularly dangerous for users who regularly encounter browser crashes or error conditions.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and demonstrates how intent-based communication systems can be exploited when proper sanitization and validation mechanisms are not implemented. The attack pattern follows techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation and credential access domains, as the flaw enables attackers to move laterally within the device's filesystem and access resources that should remain restricted. The vulnerability represents a classic example of how mobile platform features can introduce security risks when not properly integrated with browser security models, particularly in environments where multiple applications can communicate through platform-level intents. Organizations and users should implement immediate mitigations including updating to Firefox 42.0 or later versions, and administrators should consider disabling search engine registration features if they are not actively required for business operations. The vulnerability underscores the importance of comprehensive security testing for mobile browser implementations and proper validation of platform-level communication mechanisms to prevent similar issues in future releases.