CVE-2016-2805 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in the browser engine in Mozilla Firefox ESR 38.x before 38.8 allows 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 • 07/27/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2805 represents a critical security flaw within the browser engine of Mozilla Firefox Extended Support Release version 38.x prior to 38.8. This issue falls under the category of unspecified vulnerability, indicating that the exact technical mechanism remains undisclosed in the initial reporting. The vulnerability resides in the core rendering engine responsible for processing web content, making it a fundamental component of the browser's security architecture. Such flaws in browser engines are particularly dangerous as they can be exploited through routine web browsing activities without requiring any special privileges or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious website.
The technical nature of this vulnerability manifests as memory corruption within the browser engine's processing mechanisms. Memory corruption vulnerabilities occur when an application writes data to memory locations it should not access, leading to unpredictable behavior that can result in application crashes or potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code. The browser engine's memory management system becomes compromised, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate memory contents through carefully crafted malicious web content. This type of vulnerability typically arises from insufficient bounds checking, improper memory deallocation, or buffer overflow conditions within the engine's codebase. The unspecified nature of the vectors suggests multiple potential attack paths that could exploit different aspects of the rendering engine's memory handling capabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-2805 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially enable remote code execution, making it a severe threat to affected systems. When exploited, this vulnerability could allow remote attackers to cause Firefox to crash and potentially gain control over the affected system. The memory corruption could be leveraged to overwrite critical memory locations, redirect program execution flow, or inject malicious code into the browser process. This represents a significant risk to users who may inadvertently visit compromised websites or receive malicious content through various attack vectors. The vulnerability affects organizations relying on Firefox ESR 38.x for business operations, potentially exposing them to data breaches, system compromises, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with common attack patterns documented in the attack mitigation frameworks, particularly those related to browser-based exploitation techniques. The flaw demonstrates characteristics consistent with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions. These classifications highlight the fundamental memory safety issues that enable the vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of affected Firefox installations to prevent exploitation attempts. The remediation strategy involves updating to Firefox ESR 38.8 or later versions where the vulnerability has been addressed through memory safety improvements and code reviews. Additionally, implementing network-based protections such as web application firewalls and content filtering solutions can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Security teams should also consider monitoring for suspicious network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability.