CVE-2018-5160 : What You Need to Know

WebRTC vulnerability in Firefox versions older than 60 can lead to uninitialized memory use by the WebRTC encoder, potentially causing exploitable crashes.

Understanding CVE-2018-5160

What is CVE-2018-5160?

The use of a "WrappedI420Buffer" pixel buffer in WebRTC in Firefox versions prior to 60 can result in the WebRTC encoder accessing uninitialized memory, leading to potential crashes that could be exploited.

The Impact of CVE-2018-5160

This vulnerability poses a security risk as premature freeing of the owning image object can cause the WebRTC encoder to access uninitialized memory, potentially leading to exploitable crashes.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-5160

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the use of a specific pixel buffer in WebRTC, which, when the owning image object is prematurely freed, can lead to the WebRTC encoder accessing uninitialized memory.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Firefox
Vendor: Mozilla
Versions Affected: Older than version 60

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability occurs when the owning image object is freed prematurely while still in use, allowing the WebRTC encoder to access uninitialized memory, potentially leading to exploitable crashes.

Mitigation and Prevention

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Firefox to version 60 or newer to mitigate the vulnerability.
Regularly monitor security advisories from Mozilla for any patches or updates.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement secure coding practices to prevent uninitialized memory access vulnerabilities.
Conduct regular security audits and testing to identify and address similar issues.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches provided by Mozilla promptly to address known vulnerabilities and enhance system security.