CVE-2024-6600 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE • 07/09/2024
Due to large allocation checks in Angle for GLSL shaders being too lenient an out-of-bounds access could occur when allocating more than 8192 ints in private shader memory on mac OS. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 128 and Firefox ESR < 115.13.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-6600 represents a critical memory safety issue within the Angle graphics library implementation used by Firefox browsers on macOS platforms. This flaw stems from insufficient validation mechanisms during shader memory allocation processes, specifically affecting the GLSL shader compilation and execution phases. The issue manifests when the system attempts to allocate private shader memory exceeding 8192 integer elements, creating a scenario where out-of-bounds memory access can occur. Such memory corruption vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous as they can lead to arbitrary code execution or system instability.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability lies in the overly permissive allocation checks implemented within the Angle graphics library component. When Firefox processes GLSL shaders on macOS systems, it relies on Angle to handle graphics processing language compilation and memory management. The lenient validation logic fails to properly enforce memory limits, allowing allocation requests that exceed safe boundaries. This particular threshold of 8192 integers represents a critical limit where the system's memory protection mechanisms become insufficient. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of graphics processing and memory management, making it particularly challenging to detect and exploit reliably.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-6600 extends beyond simple memory corruption, as it creates potential entry points for malicious actors to execute arbitrary code within the context of the Firefox browser. Attackers could craft specially designed WebGL or canvas-based web content that triggers the vulnerable allocation path, potentially leading to complete browser compromise or system exploitation. The vulnerability affects both regular Firefox releases and the extended support release versions, indicating a widespread impact across different Firefox deployment scenarios. This affects users running Firefox versions prior to 128 and Firefox ESR versions prior to 115.13, encompassing a significant user base that requires immediate attention and remediation.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of array indices, and represents a specific instance of memory safety issues in graphics processing libraries. From an adversarial perspective, this flaw maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for script-based exploitation and potentially T1547.001 for privilege escalation through browser compromise. The vulnerability's exploitation requires crafting web content that specifically triggers the shader compilation path with large allocation requests, making it less trivial but still highly dangerous. Organizations and users should prioritize immediate patching of affected Firefox versions to prevent potential exploitation attempts. The remediation involves updating to Firefox 128 or Firefox ESR 115.13 and higher, which contain the necessary fixes to enforce proper allocation limits and prevent the out-of-bounds memory access condition. Security teams should monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability while implementing network-based protections and browser hardening measures to reduce attack surface exposure.