CVE-2019-17011 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A use-after-free vulnerability in Mozilla products could lead to a potentially exploitable crash. This CVE affects Thunderbird, Firefox ESR, and Firefox.

Understanding CVE-2019-17011

In specific situations, a race condition in the antitracking code may trigger a use-after-free issue, potentially causing a crash in Thunderbird, Firefox ESR, and Firefox.

What is CVE-2019-17011?

Under certain conditions, a race condition in the antitracking code could result in a use-after-free vulnerability when retrieving a document from a DocShell, potentially leading to a crash.

The Impact of CVE-2019-17011

This security flaw affects Thunderbird versions before 68.3, Firefox ESR versions before 68.3, and Firefox versions before 71, potentially allowing for exploitation and crashes.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-17011

The following technical details provide insight into the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from a race condition in the antitracking code, leading to a use-after-free issue when retrieving a document from a DocShell.

Affected Systems and Versions

Thunderbird versions before 68.3
Firefox ESR versions before 68.3
Firefox versions before 71

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability can be exploited by triggering the race condition in the antitracking code, causing a use-after-free condition and potentially exploitable crashes.

Mitigation and Prevention

Taking immediate steps and implementing long-term security practices are crucial to mitigating the risks associated with CVE-2019-17011.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update Thunderbird, Firefox ESR, and Firefox to versions 68.3 and 71, respectively, or later.
Monitor vendor advisories for patches and security updates.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update Mozilla products to the latest versions to ensure security patches are applied.
Employ robust cybersecurity measures to prevent and detect potential exploits.

Patching and Updates

Apply patches provided by Mozilla promptly to address the use-after-free vulnerability and prevent potential crashes.