CVE-2018-5090 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE
Memory safety bugs were reported in Firefox 57. Some of these bugs showed evidence of memory corruption and we presume that with enough effort that some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 58.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2019
CVE-2018-5090 represents a collection of memory safety vulnerabilities discovered in Mozilla Firefox version 57 and earlier. These defects fall under the category of memory corruption vulnerabilities that could potentially be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation processes within the browser's rendering engine and JavaScript interpreter. According to security researchers, multiple instances of memory corruption were identified during the analysis of Firefox 57, indicating a significant risk to user security and system integrity.
The technical nature of these memory safety bugs aligns with common software vulnerabilities documented in the CWE (Common Weakness Enumeration) catalog, specifically CWE-125 for out-of-bounds read conditions and CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write conditions. These flaws typically occur when programs fail to properly validate memory boundaries during operations such as buffer management, string handling, or object allocation. The vulnerability affects Firefox versions prior to 58, making any user running these older versions susceptible to potential exploitation. Attackers could potentially craft malicious web pages or content that triggers these memory corruption conditions when loaded in the vulnerable browser, leading to unpredictable behavior and potential code execution.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-5090 extends beyond simple browser compromise, as successful exploitation could lead to complete system takeover. When memory corruption occurs in browser processes, attackers may be able to manipulate program execution flow through techniques such as return-oriented programming or stack smashing. The vulnerability's potential for remote code execution makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where users may browse untrusted websites or receive malicious email attachments containing compromised web content. Organizations running Firefox 57 or earlier versions face significant risk of data breaches, privilege escalation, and persistent malware installation through these memory safety flaws.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-5090 center on immediate browser updates to version 58 or later, which contain patches addressing the identified memory safety issues. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management procedures to ensure all user workstations receive updates promptly. Additional protective measures include deploying web application firewalls, implementing content security policies, and using browser hardening techniques such as disabling unnecessary browser features and plugins. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining current software versions and following security best practices as outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly in the context of browser-based attacks and privilege escalation techniques. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts targeting these memory corruption vulnerabilities.