CVE-2016-1945 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
The nsZipArchive function in Mozilla Firefox before 44.0 might allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact by leveraging incorrect use of a pointer during processing of a ZIP archive.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/06/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-1945 affects Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 44.0 and resides within the nsZipArchive function responsible for processing ZIP archive files. This flaw represents a critical security issue that could potentially enable remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause system instability through maliciously crafted ZIP files. The vulnerability stems from improper pointer management during ZIP archive processing, creating opportunities for memory corruption that could be exploited to disrupt normal system operations or gain unauthorized access to system resources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves incorrect pointer handling within the ZIP archive parsing mechanism, which falls under the category of memory safety issues commonly classified as CWE-125. When Firefox processes ZIP files, the nsZipArchive function fails to properly validate pointer references, leading to potential buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions. This pointer misuse creates a pathway for attackers to manipulate memory structures and potentially execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected browser process. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with heap-based buffer overflow vulnerabilities that are often exploited in browser-based attack scenarios.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-1945 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to encompass potential remote code execution capabilities. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability by delivering malicious ZIP files through various attack vectors including email attachments, compromised websites, or malicious downloads. When a user opens or interacts with the compromised ZIP file, the flawed pointer handling in nsZipArchive could trigger memory corruption that allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the target system. This vulnerability particularly affects web browsing environments where users frequently download and open various file types, making it a significant threat in enterprise and consumer settings.
Organizations and users should immediately update to Firefox 44.0 or later versions to mitigate this vulnerability, as the patch addresses the underlying pointer management issues in the ZIP archive processing code. Security professionals should also implement network-based intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious ZIP file traffic and consider deploying application whitelisting policies to restrict execution of untrusted archives. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically focusing on the use of browser-based exploitation methods. Additional mitigations include configuring Firefox to disable automatic ZIP file extraction and implementing security policies that limit user interaction with potentially malicious file types through browser sandboxes and privilege separation mechanisms.