“Securing the Web: Firefox Releases 116 Patches to Combat High-Severity Vulnerabilities”

Vulnerabilities in Firefox 116: A Serious Concern for Internet Security

August 2, 2023 | By

Introduction

Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox browser, recently released version 116, along with patches for multiple high-severity vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities, including some that can lead to remote code execution or sandbox escapes, pose significant risks to the security and privacy of internet users. This report will analyze the nature of these vulnerabilities, examine their implications, and provide advice on how users can protect themselves.

The High-Severity Vulnerabilities

The Firefox 116 update addresses a total of 14 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). Of these, nine are rated as “high severity”. Let’s explore some of the most concerning flaws:

CVE-2023-4045: Cross-Origin Restrictions Bypass in Offscreen Canvas

This vulnerability allows web pages to view images displayed in a page from a different site by bypassing cross-origin restrictions. This issue undermines the same-origin policy, which is designed to prevent HTML and JavaScript code from accessing content on other sites. It could potentially enable malicious actors to exploit confidential data or launch targeted attacks.

CVE-2023-4046: Incorrect Value during WASM Compilation

This flaw relates to the use of an incorrect value during WebAssembly (WASM) compilation. In certain circumstances, a stale value could have been used for a global variable in WASM JIT analysis. This could result in incorrect compilation and potentially exploitable crashes in the content process. Exploiting this vulnerability could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information or execute arbitrary code.

CVE-2023-4047: Permission Request Bypass via Clickjacking

This vulnerability involves a permission request bypass via clickjacking. Attackers can trick users into clicking on a carefully placed item, registering the input as a click on a security dialog that was not displayed to the user. This can lead to potentially risky permissions, such as accessing location, sending notifications, or activating the microphone, being granted without the user’s knowledge or consent. It poses a significant threat to user privacy and security.

CVE-2023-4048, CVE-2023-4049, CVE-2023-4050: Other High-Severit