CVE-2016-2834 in Directory Server Enterprise Edition
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Network Security Services (NSS) before 3.23, as used in Mozilla Firefox before 47.0, allows 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 • 01/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2016-2834 affects Mozilla Network Security Services (NSS) versions prior to 3.23, which are integrated into Mozilla Firefox versions before 47.0. This represents a critical security flaw that demonstrates the inherent risks associated with cryptographic libraries and their integration into web browsers. The vulnerability resides within the core security infrastructure that handles cryptographic operations, certificate validation, and secure communications, making it particularly dangerous as it could potentially be exploited to compromise the integrity of secure connections.
The technical flaw manifests as an unknown vector that leads to memory corruption within the NSS library, specifically impacting how the system handles certain cryptographic operations or certificate processing sequences. This memory corruption vulnerability can result in application crashes, effectively creating a denial of service condition that prevents legitimate users from accessing services. According to CWE classification, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are common manifestations of memory corruption flaws in cryptographic libraries.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-2834 extends beyond simple service disruption as it represents a potential pathway for more sophisticated attacks. While the immediate effect is denial of service, the underlying memory corruption could theoretically be exploited to achieve arbitrary code execution or information disclosure, depending on how attackers leverage the vulnerability. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059, which covers command and scripting interpreter, and T1068, which addresses exploit for privilege escalation, as the memory corruption could potentially be chained with other techniques to gain elevated privileges or execute malicious code within the browser environment.
The vulnerability's exploitation potential is heightened by its presence in widely used software components, as NSS is fundamental to secure web communications across numerous applications and browsers. Attackers could potentially craft malicious web content or certificates that trigger the memory corruption when processed by vulnerable Firefox versions, leading to widespread service disruption. Organizations using affected versions face significant risk as this vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against specific users or in mass exploitation campaigns, particularly given the browser's extensive user base and the ease with which such attacks could be delivered through compromised websites or malicious advertisements.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2016-2834 primarily focus on immediate software updates to ensure that all affected systems are running patched versions of both NSS and Firefox. Security administrators should prioritize updating to NSS 3.23 or later, along with Firefox 47.0 or newer, as these versions contain the necessary fixes to address the memory corruption issues. Additionally, network administrators should implement monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider deploying web application firewalls or content filtering solutions that can block suspicious certificate or cryptographic operation patterns. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of regular security assessments and vulnerability management programs, as it demonstrates how flaws in core cryptographic libraries can have cascading effects across multiple applications and services. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as certificate pinning and enhanced monitoring of cryptographic operations to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities that may arise in the future.