Mozilla Firefox fails to properly sanitize user-supplied URIs via shell script

Overview

A lack of input validation in a supplemental shell script included with some Mozilla browsers may allow a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands.

Description

The Linux versions of the Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla Suite web browsers include a wrapper shell script for invoking the browser on URIs supplied by external applications. This shell script fails to sanitize shell metacharacters from the supplied URI parameters before using them to construct a shell command. By sending a specially crafted URI to a user of an application configured to invoke this shell script, a remote, unauthenticated attacker may be able to execute arbitrary commands on the vulnerable system.

This issue only affects Linux systems using the supplied firefox or mozilla shell scripts or other Unix-like systems specifically configured to use these scripts.

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Impact

A remote, unauthenticated attacker may be able to execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the user of the application which invoked the vulnerable shell script.

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Solution

Upgrade

The Mozilla project has released version 1.0.7 of the Firefox web browser which includes a patch for this issue. Firefox users are encouraged to upgrade to this version of the software.

The Mozilla project has also released version 1.7.12 of the Mozilla Suite product which includes a patch for this issue. Mozilla Suite users are encouraged to upgrade to this version of the software.

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Workarounds

Do not click on URIs provided by external applications, such as email clients, on the affected systems. Copy and paste the URI into the browser instead.

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Vendor Information

914681

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Mozilla, Inc. __ Affected

Updated: December 22, 2005

Status

Affected

Vendor Statement

We have not received a statement from the vendor.

Vendor Information

The vendor has not provided us with any further information regarding this vulnerability.

Addendum

The Mozilla project has released version 1.0.7 of the Firefox web browser and Thunderbird e-mail client which includes a patch for this issue. Firefox and Thunderbird users are encouraged to upgrade to this version of the software.

The Mozilla project has also released version 1.7.12 of the Mozilla Suite product which includes a patch for this issue. Mozilla Suite users are encouraged to upgrade to this version of the software.

For more information, please see:
<http://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/mfsa2005-59.html>

If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us [email](<mailto:[email protected]?Subject=VU%23914681 Feedback>).

Red Hat, Inc. __ Affected

Updated: December 22, 2005

Status

Affected

Vendor Statement

`The Mozilla packages in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, 3, and 4 were not
vulnerable to this issue.

Updated Firefox packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 to correct this
issue are available at the URL below and by using the Red Hat Network
‘up2date’ tool.

<http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2005-785.html&gt;`

Vendor Information

The vendor has not provided us with any further information regarding this vulnerability.

CVSS Metrics

Group	Score	Vector
Base
Temporal
Environmental

References

• <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=307185&gt;
• <http://secunia.com/advisories/16869/&gt;
• <http://secunia.com/advisories/16846/&gt;
• <http://secunia.com/advisories/16901/&gt;
• <http://www.auscert.org.au/5513&gt;

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Peter Zelezny for reporting this vulnerability.

This document was written by Chad R Dougherty.

Other Information

CVE IDs:	CVE-2005-2968
Severity Metric:	12.15 Date Public: