Headline
Critical Mozilla Firefox Zero-Day Allows Code Execution
The bug is already being exploited in the wild, but Firefox has provided patches for those who may be vulnerable.
Source: 2020WEB via Alamy Stock Photo
Mozilla has patched a critical security vulnerability in its Firefox Web browser that’s being actively exploited in the wild.
Tracked as CVE-2024-9680, the vulnerability is a use-after-free issue in Animation timelines, with attackers exploiting it to execute arbitrary code, according to Mozilla’s advisory. It carries a CVSSv3 vulnerability-severity rating of 9.8 out of 10 and a low attack complexity (no privileges or user interaction is needed to successfully exploit the flaw), and translates into high risk in the event of a successful attack.
Critical bugs in Firefox, which is used by around 178 million people worldwide, are few and far between. The Web browser hasn’t had to offer patches for such a severe flaw since March, and only a small number have been discovered in the past few years.
The disclosure sparked a flurry of alerts from international cyber agencies, including Dutch national cyber center Nationaal Cyber Security Centrum, and the cybersecurity centers of Canada and Italy.
The Web browser vulnerability affects Firefox 131.0.2, Firefox ESR 128.3.1, and Firefox ESR 115.16.1. Users should upgrade to version 131.0.2 in Firefox and to versions 115.16.1 or 128.3.1 for Firefox ESR to fix the vulnerability and thwart potential exploitation.
About the Author
Related news
Watch out for the Russian hackers from the infamous RomRom group, also known as Storm-0978, Tropical Scorpius, or UNC2596, and their use of a custom backdoor.
Red Hat Security Advisory 2024-9552-03 - An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9. Issues addressed include cross site scripting, denial of service, spoofing, and use-after-free vulnerabilities.
October Linux Patch Wednesday. There are 248 vulnerabilities in total. Of these, 92 are in the Linux Kernel. 5 vulnerabilities with signs of exploitation in the wild: 🔻 Remote Code Execution – CUPS (CVE-2024-47176) and 4 more CUPS vulnerabilities that can also be used to enhance DoS attacks🔻 Remote Code Execution – Mozilla Firefox (CVE-2024-9680) […]
Red Hat Security Advisory 2024-8176-03 - An update for firefox is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2 Advanced Update Support. Issues addressed include a use-after-free vulnerability.
Red Hat Security Advisory 2024-8167-03 - An update for firefox is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Update Services for SAP Solutions, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.4 Telecommunications Update Service. Issues addressed include a use-after-free vulnerability.
Red Hat Security Advisory 2024-8166-03 - An update for thunderbird is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.8 Extended Update Support. Issues addressed include bypass, denial of service, and use-after-free vulnerabilities.
Mozilla warns that a vulnerability in Firefox and Tor Browser is actively being exploited against both browsers
Red Hat Security Advisory 2024-8131-03 - An update for firefox is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Advanced Mission Critical Update Support, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Update Services for SAP Solutions, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.6 Telecommunications Update Service. Issues addressed include a use-after-free vulnerability.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7066-1 - Damien Schaeffer discovered that Thunderbird did not properly manage certain memory operations when processing content in the Animation timelines. An attacker could potentially exploit this issue to achieve arbitrary code execution.
Debian Linux Security Advisory 5789-1 - Multiple security issues were discovered in Thunderbird, which could result in the execution of arbitrary code.
Ubuntu Security Notice 7065-1 - Damien Schaeffer discovered that Firefox did not properly manage memory in the content process when handling Animation timelines, leading to a use after free vulnerability. An attacker could possibly use this issue to achieve remote code execution.
Debian Linux Security Advisory 5788-1 - Damien Schaeffer discovered a use-after-free in the Mozilla Firefox web browser, which could result in the execution of arbitrary code.
Red Hat Security Advisory 2024-7977-03 - An update for firefox is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8. Issues addressed include a use-after-free vulnerability.
Red Hat Security Advisory 2024-7958-03 - An update for firefox is now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9. Issues addressed include a use-after-free vulnerability.
Mozilla has revealed that a critical security flaw impacting Firefox and Firefox Extended Support Release (ESR) has come under active exploitation in the wild. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-9680, has been described as a use-after-free bug in the Animation timeline component. "An attacker was able to achieve code execution in the content process by exploiting a use-after-free in