CVE-2017-5461 in Fujitsu M10-1
Summary
by MITRE
Mozilla Network Security Services (NSS) before 3.21.4, 3.22.x through 3.28.x before 3.28.4, 3.29.x before 3.29.5, and 3.30.x before 3.30.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write) or possibly have unspecified other impact by leveraging incorrect base64 operations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-5461 affects Mozilla Network Security Services (NSS), a critical cryptographic library that provides security protocols and cryptographic functions for various Mozilla products including Firefox and Thunderbird. This issue stems from improper handling of base64 decoding operations within the NSS library, creating a potential vector for remote attackers to exploit. The vulnerability impacts multiple versions of NSS, specifically those before 3.21.4, 3.22.x through 3.28.x before 3.28.4, 3.29.x before 3.29.5, and 3.30.x before 3.30.1, indicating a widespread exposure across the library's release cycles.
The technical flaw manifests as an out-of-bounds write condition that occurs during base64 decoding operations. When the NSS library processes malformed base64 encoded data, it fails to properly validate input boundaries, leading to memory corruption that can result in arbitrary code execution or system instability. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-787 weakness category, which specifically addresses out-of-bounds write conditions in software systems. The improper base64 handling creates a scenario where attacker-controlled input can cause the application to write data beyond the allocated memory buffer, potentially overwriting critical program data or execution pointers.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risk to organizations relying on NSS-based applications, as remote attackers can exploit it without authentication to cause denial of service conditions or potentially execute arbitrary code. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption to include potential system compromise, particularly when affected applications process untrusted data from web services or email attachments. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to crash applications, leading to persistent denial of service, or in more severe cases, gain unauthorized access to systems. The vulnerability's presence in widely-used cryptographic libraries means that the attack surface is extensive across multiple Mozilla products and potentially third-party applications that depend on NSS for security functionality.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2017-5461 requires immediate deployment of patched NSS versions across all affected systems. Organizations should prioritize updating to the latest stable releases that contain the base64 decoding fixes, particularly focusing on versions 3.21.4, 3.28.4, 3.29.5, and 3.30.1 respectively. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and establish incident response procedures for handling such vulnerabilities. Additionally, network segmentation and input validation controls should be strengthened to minimize the impact of potential exploitation attempts, while regular security assessments should verify that all dependent applications are properly updated and configured to prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting in the environment.