CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2013-1690Exploited in the wildNVD status: Analyzed

Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird Denial-of-Service

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2013-1690 is a high-severity improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer vulnerability in Firefox from Mozilla, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, but only if a user takes part, for example by opening a link or file. The record lists versions 22.0, 17.0.7 as the first without the flaw, so updating Firefox to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on March 28, 2022, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.

Patch now

Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.

What to do

  1. Update Firefox to 22.0 or 17.0.7, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Thunderbird to 17.0.7 or a later version.
  3. Update Thunderbird Esr to 17.0.7 or a later version.
  4. CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
  5. Read the advisory on mozilla.org for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
  6. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
  7. Because the attack needs a user to take part, warn users about unexpected links and files related to this product until it is patched.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
MozillaFirefoxbefore 22.0; 17.0 up to, but not including, 17.0.722.0, 17.0.7
MozillaThunderbirdbefore 17.0.717.0.7
MozillaThunderbird Esr17.0 up to, but not including, 17.0.717.0.7
CanonicalUbuntu Linux12.04; 12.10; 13.04Not stated
DebianDebian Linux7.0Not stated
Red HatGluster Storage Server For On-premise2.0Not stated
Red HatEnterprise Linux Desktop5.0; 6.0Not stated
Red HatEnterprise Linux EUS5.9; 6.4Not stated
Red HatEnterprise Linux Server5.0; 6.0Not stated
Red HatEnterprise Linux Server AUS5.9; 6.4Not stated
Red HatEnterprise Linux Workstation5.0; 6.0Not stated
openSUSEOpensuse11.4; 12.2; 12.3Not stated
SUSELinux Enterprise Desktop10; 11Not stated
SUSELinux Enterprise Server10; 11Not stated
SUSELinux Enterprise Software Development Kit10; 11Not stated

Version data comes from NVD's product matching. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
RequiredA user must take an action such as opening a file or link.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.18.8HighNVD
CVSS 3.18.8HighCISA (ADP)
CVSS 2.09.3HighNVD

Official description

Mozilla Firefox before 22.0, Firefox ESR 17.x before 17.0.7, Thunderbird before 17.0.7, and Thunderbird ESR 17.x before 17.0.7 do not properly handle onreadystatechange events in conjunction with page reloading, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted web site that triggers an attempt to execute data at an unmapped memory location.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

The product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it reads from or writes to a memory location outside the buffer's intended boundary.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
  • Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.

More Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer vulnerabilities (CWE-119)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
  3. Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
  4. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  5. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Other vulnerabilities in Firefox

All Firefox vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer vulnerabilities

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