CVE-2015-7202 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in the browser engine in Mozilla Firefox before 43.0 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/01/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2015-7202 represents a critical security flaw within the browser engine of Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 43.0. This issue falls under the category of unspecified vulnerabilities, indicating that the exact technical mechanisms remain undisclosed in the initial reporting. The affected component resides in the core browser engine responsible for processing web content and rendering pages, making it a fundamental attack surface for malicious actors seeking to compromise user systems. The vulnerability's classification as affecting the browser engine suggests it operates at a low level within the application architecture where memory management and code execution paths intersect.
These unspecified vulnerabilities enable remote attackers to manipulate the browser's memory handling mechanisms in ways that can result in either denial of service conditions or more severe arbitrary code execution capabilities. The memory corruption aspect indicates that attackers can potentially overwrite critical memory segments or manipulate heap structures, leading to unpredictable application behavior and system instability. The application crash component demonstrates the immediate impact of these flaws, where properly crafted malicious content can cause Firefox to terminate unexpectedly, disrupting user sessions and potentially providing a vector for further exploitation attempts.
The operational impact of CVE-2015-7202 extends beyond simple service disruption, as the potential for arbitrary code execution represents a severe threat to user security and system integrity. When attackers can achieve code execution within the browser context, they gain access to the user's system resources, potentially enabling them to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to compromised systems. The memory corruption vulnerabilities specifically align with common attack patterns documented in the attack tactics and techniques framework, where adversaries exploit memory safety issues to gain unauthorized control over target systems. This vulnerability type commonly maps to attack techniques categorized under privilege escalation and persistent access in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, as successful exploitation can lead to broader system compromise.
The lack of specific details regarding the exact attack vectors in the initial CVE description indicates that this vulnerability likely involves multiple related memory corruption issues that were discovered during routine security assessments. Such unspecified vulnerabilities often represent complex interactions between various browser components, where a single flaw in memory management can trigger cascading failures throughout the application architecture. The vulnerability's presence in Firefox versions before 43.0 suggests that it was introduced during a period of active development when memory safety checks and input validation mechanisms may have been insufficiently robust. This issue demonstrates the importance of comprehensive security testing and the challenges inherent in maintaining memory safety in complex software applications that process untrusted content from diverse sources. Organizations should prioritize updating to Firefox 43.0 or later versions to mitigate this vulnerability and protect against potential exploitation attempts that could lead to complete system compromise.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE categories related to memory safety issues and buffer overflows, where improper handling of memory operations can lead to unpredictable behavior and security breaches. Security researchers and organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including browser updates, network monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns, and user education about avoiding untrusted web content. The vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of keeping browser software current, as these types of memory corruption flaws often require immediate patching to prevent exploitation in the wild.