CVE-2018-5136 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Firefox versions prior to 59 exhibit a vulnerability where a shared worker generated from a "data:" URL in one tab can be accessed and utilized by another tab with a distinct origin, effectively bypassing the same-origin policy.

Understanding CVE-2018-5136

This CVE entry describes a same-origin policy violation with data: URL shared workers in Mozilla Firefox.

What is CVE-2018-5136?

A shared worker created from a "data:" URL in one tab can be shared by another tab with a different origin, bypassing the same-origin policy. This vulnerability affects Firefox versions less than 59.

The Impact of CVE-2018-5136

Allows unauthorized access to shared workers across different origins in Firefox.
Bypasses the same-origin policy, potentially leading to security breaches.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-5136

This section provides more technical insights into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability allows a shared worker from a "data:" URL in one tab to be accessed by another tab with a different origin, circumventing the same-origin policy.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Firefox
Vendor: Mozilla
Versions Affected: < 59

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by creating a shared worker from a "data:" URL in one tab and accessing it from another tab with a distinct origin.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2018-5136 with these mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Firefox to version 59 or higher to mitigate the vulnerability.
Avoid visiting untrusted websites to minimize the risk of exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update your browser and other software to patch security vulnerabilities.
Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of potential breaches.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security advisories from Mozilla and apply patches promptly to secure your systems.