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CVE-2019-11707: High Vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird

CVE-2019-11707 is a high-severity type confusion vulnerability affecting Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird. Attackers can exploit this flaw to trigger crashes in the affected applications. Immediate patching is crucial to mitigate risks associated with this vulnerability.

HIGHKnown ExploitedCVSS 8.8 · Published July 23, 2019

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CVE-2019-11707 is a type confusion vulnerability that can occur when manipulating JavaScript objects due to issues in Array.pop. This flaw allows for an exploitable crash, making it a high-severity concern. The vulnerability affects Mozilla Firefox ESR versions earlier than 60.7.1, Firefox versions earlier than 67.0.3, and Thunderbird versions earlier than 60.7.2. It is important to note that there have been targeted attacks leveraging this vulnerability in the wild.

With a CVSS score of 8.8, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations. The exploitability score of 2.8 further highlights the potential ease of exploitation. As organizations increasingly rely on Mozilla products for their operations, the urgency for defenders to address this vulnerability is paramount.

Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability. The potential for a crash can disrupt services, leading to operational and reputational damage. As attackers may leverage this vulnerability, timely remediation is essential.

Given its presence in multiple widely used applications, the implications of CVE-2019-11707 extend beyond individual organizations, potentially impacting a broad array of users and systems. Therefore, organizations should remain vigilant and proactive in ensuring their systems are secured against this and similar vulnerabilities.

Vulnerability Details

The official description of CVE-2019-11707 states that it is a type confusion vulnerability that can occur when manipulating JavaScript objects due to issues in Array.pop, potentially allowing for an exploitable crash. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-843.

The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 8.8, classified as high severity. This score is indicative of the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, all rated as high. The vulnerability affects Mozilla's Firefox and Thunderbird products, particularly versions below specified thresholds.

The CVE was published on July 23, 2019, and has been flagged as having been analyzed by relevant security teams. Organizations utilizing affected versions are urged to apply patches promptly.

Technical Analysis

The root cause of CVE-2019-11707 lies in the manipulation of JavaScript objects, specifically through the Array.pop method. This manipulation can lead to a type confusion scenario, causing the application to behave unexpectedly, which may result in a crash.

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, meaning that an attacker can exploit it remotely. The complexity of the attack is rated as low, which indicates that no advanced skills are required to execute an attack. Importantly, the vulnerability requires user interaction to be exploited, as users must interact with the maliciously crafted JavaScript.

The impact of a successful exploit can lead to high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, as attackers may crash the application, potentially leading to data loss or service outages.

Risk & Impact Analysis

Real-world deployment of this vulnerability presents significant risk. Organizations using Mozilla products must recognize the potential for operational disruption and data loss. The blast radius includes all users of affected Firefox and Thunderbird versions, amplifying the urgency for swift remediation.

Organizations should assess their risk posture in relation to this vulnerability, prioritizing it based on its CVSS score and known exploitation patterns. The vulnerability is listed in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, indicating active exploitation in the wild, further emphasizing the need for immediate action.

Given the high EPS score of 0.844, organizations are advised to include this vulnerability in their urgent patching cycles. The potential for attackers to exploit this flaw should not be taken lightly, as it can lead to severe operational and reputational damage.

Signal

Status

Known Exploit

Yes

Public PoC

Yes

Actively Exploited

Yes

Ransomware Use

No

Affected Versions

The vulnerability affects the following versions: Firefox ESR versions earlier than 60.7.1, Firefox versions earlier than 67.0.3, and Thunderbird versions earlier than 60.7.2. Organizations using these products must upgrade to the latest versions to ensure they are protected against this vulnerability.

Mitigation & Remediation

Organizations are urged to apply patches provided by the vendor immediately. For Firefox and Thunderbird, updates should be applied to versions 60.7.1 and 67.0.3 or later, respectively. If patches are unavailable, organizations should consider implementing configuration hardening and network controls to mitigate potential exploits.

Monitoring for anomalous behavior in application logs may help in identifying attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Regularly reviewing security configurations also plays a crucial role in maintaining a secure environment.

For ongoing security assurance, organizations may consider leveraging penetration testing services to validate the effectiveness of their remediation efforts.

Detection Guidance

Organizations should monitor logs for indicators of exploitation attempts, such as unusual JavaScript execution patterns or application crashes. Behavioral anomalies in application performance may also signal attempts to exploit the type confusion vulnerability.

Network signatures associated with known exploits, when identified, should be promptly investigated. Monitoring for changes in system behavior following the application's interaction with untrusted sources can provide additional layers of security.

AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight

The long-term significance of CVE-2019-11707 lies in its demonstration of how seemingly minor flaws in code can lead to severe consequences, particularly in widely used applications like Firefox and Thunderbird. This vulnerability highlights the importance of rigorous testing and validation of software components, especially those handling user-generated content.

The trend of JavaScript vulnerabilities continues to be a critical area for security teams to address, as they frequently enable attackers to manipulate application behavior. Security teams should prioritize implementing secure coding practices and regular security assessments to mitigate similar vulnerabilities.

For more insights on application security, organizations can explore our resources on penetration testing methodology, vulnerability management programs, and security testing best practices to enhance overall security posture.

Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

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