CVE-2009-1838: Code Injection
Mozilla security researcher mozbugra4 reported that the owner document of an element can become null after garbage collection. In such cases, event listeners may be executed within the wrong JavaScript context. An attacker could potentially use this vulnerability to have a malicious event handler execute arbitrary JavaScript with chrome privileges.
Other sources
The garbage-collection implementation in Mozilla Firefox before 3.0.11, Thunderbird before 2.0.0.22, and SeaMonkey before 1.1.17 sets an element's owner document to null in unspecified circumstances, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript with chrome privileges via a crafted event handler, related to an incorrect context for this event handler.
Affected Software
Remediation
Patch Available
Patch Available
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2009-1838?
The severity of CVE-2009-1838 is considered medium as it can create avenues for malicious code execution.
How do I fix CVE-2009-1838?
Fixing CVE-2009-1838 involves updating affected Mozilla applications to the latest patched versions.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-1838?
CVE-2009-1838 affects multiple versions of Mozilla Firefox, SeaMonkey, and Thunderbird ranging from 0.1 to 3.0.10.
What is the exploit vector for CVE-2009-1838?
The exploit vector for CVE-2009-1838 comes from improper event handling due to garbage collected references becoming null.
Can CVE-2009-1838 lead to remote code execution?
Yes, CVE-2009-1838 could potentially allow an attacker to execute malicious event handlers in the user's context.