Mozilla, Firefox, Thunderbird, and Netscape non-ascii character buffer overflow

mozilla-netscape-nonascii-bo (17378)

High Risk

Description:

Mozilla is vulnerable to a heap overflow, caused by improper handling of non-ascii characters in a URL. By creating a specially-crafted URL request containing non-ascii characters, a remote attacker could overflow a buffer and execute arbitrary code on the system, once the link is clicked. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by hosting the malicious URL on a Web site or by sending it to a victim as an HTML email.

Platforms Affected:

• Compaq, Tru64 5.1a
• Compaq, Tru64 5.1b
• Conectiva, Linux 10
• Conectiva, Linux 9.0
• Gentoo, Linux
• MandrakeSoft, Mandrake Linux 10.0 AMD64
• MandrakeSoft, Mandrake Linux 10.0
• Mozilla, Firefox 0.7
• Mozilla, Firefox 0.8
• Mozilla, Firefox 0.9
• Mozilla, Firefox 0.9 rc
• Mozilla, Firefox 0.9.1
• Mozilla, Firefox 0.9.2
• Mozilla, Firefox 0.9.3
• Mozilla, Mozilla 0.9.2
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.0
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.0 rc1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.0.1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.0.2
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.1 Beta
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.1 Alpha
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.2
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.2 Beta
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.2 Alpha
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.2.1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.3
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.3.1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.4
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.4 Alpha
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.4 Beta
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.4.1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.4.2
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.4.4
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.5 rc1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.5 rc2
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.5 Alpha
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.5
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.5.1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.6
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.6 Beta
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.6 Alpha
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.7 rc3
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.7 Alpha
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.7 Beta
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.7 rc1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.7 rc2
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.7
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.7.1
• Mozilla, Mozilla 1.7.2
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.1
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.2
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.3
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.4
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.5
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.6
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.7
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.7.1
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.7.2
• Mozilla, Thunderbird 0.7.3
• Netscape, Navigator 7.2
• RedHat, Enterprise Linux 2.1 WS
• RedHat, Enterprise Linux 2.1 AS
• RedHat, Enterprise Linux 2.1 ES
• RedHat, Enterprise Linux 3 AS
• RedHat, Enterprise Linux 3 ES
• RedHat, Enterprise Linux 3 WS
• RedHat, Enterprise Linux 3 Desktop
• RedHat, Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1 Itanium
• Slackware, Slackware Linux 10.0
• Slackware, Slackware Linux current
• SuSE, Linux Enterprise Server 8
• SuSE, SuSE Linux 8.1
• SuSE, SuSE Linux 8.2
• SuSE, SuSE Linux 9.0
• SuSE, SuSE Linux 9.1
• SuSE, SuSE Linux Desktop 1.0
• SuSE, SuSE SLES 9

Remedy:

For Mozilla:
Upgrade to the latest version (1.7.3 or later), available from the Mozilla Web site. See References.

For Firefox:
Upgrade to the latest version (1.0PR or later), available from the Mozilla Web site. See References.

For Thunderbird:
Upgrade to the latest version (0.8 or later), available from the Mozilla Web site. See References.

For Gentoo Linux:
Upgrade to the latest version of Mozilla, Epiphany, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Mozilla Firefox, as listed in GLSA 200409-26. See References.

For Slackware Linux:
Upgrade to the latest Mozilla package, as listed below. Refer to slackware-security Mailing List, Wed, 22 Sep 2004 13:39:12 -0700 (PDT) for more information. See References.

Slackware Linux 10 and -current: 1.7.3-i486-1 or later

For HP Tru64 Unix 5.1A and 5.1B:
Apply the appropriate patch for your system, as listed in Hewlett-Packard Company Security Bulletin HPSBTU01081. See References.

For SuSE Linux:
Apply the update for this vulnerability, as listed in SuSE Security Announcement SUSE-SA:2004:036. See References.

For Conectiva Linux:
Upgrade to the latest mozilla package, as listed below. Refer to Conectiva Linux Security Announcement CLSA-2004:877 for more information. See References.

Conectiva Linux 10.0: 1.7.3-60868U10_1cl or later
Conectiva Linux 9: 1.7.3-27852U90_4cl or later

For other distributions:
Contact your vendor for upgrade or patch information.

Consequences:

Gain Access

References:

• Conectiva Linux Security Announcement CLSA-2004:877, New upstream for mozilla at http://distro.conectiva.com.br/atualizacoes/index.php?id=a&anuncio=000877.
• Mozilla Bugzilla Bug 256316 , non-ascii char in URL lead to heap overrun at http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=256316.
• Mozilla Web site, Mozilla - Home of the Firefox web browser, Thunderbird and the Mozilla Suite at http://www.mozilla.org/.
• slackware-security Mailing List, Wed, 22 Sep 2004 13:39:12 -0700 (PDT), [slackware-security] Mozilla (SSA:2004-266-03) at http://slackware.com/security/viewer.php?l=slackware-security&y=2004&m=slackware-security.401801.
• BID-11169: Mozilla Browser Non-ASCII Hostname Heap Overflow Vulnerability
• CVE-2004-0902: Multiple heap-based buffer overflows in Mozilla Firefox before the Preview Release, Mozilla before 1.7.3, and Thunderbird before 0.8 allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or execute arbitrary code via (1) the Send page functionality, (2) certain responses from a malicious POP3 server, or (3) a link containing a non-ASCII hostname.
• GLSA-200409-26: Mozilla, Firefox, Thunderbird, Epiphany: New releases fix vulnerabilities
• MDKSA-2004:107: Updated mozilla packages fix vulnerabilities
• RHSA-2004-486: mozilla security update
• SUSE-SA:2004:036: mozilla: various vulnerabilities
• US-CERT VU#125776: Multiple buffer overflows in Mozilla POP3 protocol handler
• US-CERT VU#327560: Mozilla send page feature contains a buffer overflow vulnerability
• US-CERT VU#808216: Mozilla contains heap overflow in UTF8 conversion of hostname portion of URLs

Reported:

Sep 14, 2004

The information within this database may change without notice. Use of this information constitutes acceptance for use in an AS IS condition. There are NO warranties, implied or otherwise, with regard to this information or its use. Any use of this information is at the user's risk. In no event shall the author/distributor (IBM Internet Security Systems X-Force) be held liable for any damages whatsoever arising out of or in connection with the use or spread of this information.

For corrections or additions please email xforce@iss.net

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