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CVE-2017-5456: Mozilla Firefox: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource

CVE-2017-5456 is rated critical with a CVSS v3.0 base score of 9.8 and affects Mozilla Firefox, along with 6 other products in NVD’s configuration data. Per its scoring, it can be exploited over the network, without authentication, without any user interaction. The scored impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability is the highest available.

Vulnerability description

A mechanism to bypass file system access protections in the sandbox using the file system request constructor through an IPC message. This allows for read and write access to the local file system. This vulnerability affects Firefox ESR < 52.1 and Firefox < 53.

Severity breakdown

CVSS v3.0 9.8: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

  • Attack vector: Network. Exploitable remotely over the network, with no need for local or physical access.
  • Attack complexity: Low. No special conditions; the attack can be repeated reliably.
  • Privileges required: None. No account or prior access is needed.
  • User interaction: None. No action from any user is needed.
  • Scope: Unchanged. Impact stays within the vulnerable component.
  • Confidentiality impact: High. Total loss of confidentiality; sensitive data can be fully disclosed.
  • Integrity impact: High. Total loss of integrity; data or system state can be fully modified.
  • Availability impact: High. Total loss of availability; the component can be shut down.

Underlying weakness

CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource

The product specifies permissions for a security-critical resource in a way that allows that resource to be read or modified by unintended actors.

Affected products

  • Mozilla Firefox: before 53.0; before 52.1.0
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux: 7.0
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop: 7.0
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server: 7.0
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Aus: 7.3; 7.4
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server Eus: 7.3; 7.4; 7.5
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation: 7.0

References