CVE-2018-5140 : What You Need to Know

A vulnerability in Firefox versions older than 59 could allow malicious web content to access images for moz-icons, potentially leading to the disclosure of associated applications with specific MIME types.

Understanding CVE-2018-5140

This CVE involves a security issue in Firefox that enables unauthorized access to moz-icon images through web content.

What is CVE-2018-5140?

Accessing images for moz-icons using the "moz-icon:" protocol through web content scripts, even when restricted, could expose information about associated applications and MIME types if exploited by a malicious webpage.

The Impact of CVE-2018-5140

The vulnerability in Firefox versions prior to 59 could result in the leakage of sensitive information regarding application associations with specific MIME types.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-5140

This section provides detailed technical insights into the CVE-2018-5140 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw allows web content to access moz-icon images through the "moz-icon:" protocol, potentially leading to information disclosure.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Firefox
Vendor: Mozilla
Versions Affected: Older than 59

Exploitation Mechanism

Malicious web content can exploit this vulnerability to access images for moz-icons, revealing sensitive information.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2018-5140 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

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

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update browsers and software to patch known vulnerabilities.
Implement content security policies to restrict access to sensitive resources.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Mozilla to address the CVE-2018-5140 vulnerability.