CVE Vulnerabilities

CVE-2014-1490

Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization ('Race Condition')

Published: Feb 06, 2014 | Modified: Apr 11, 2025
CVSS 3.x
N/A
Source:
NVD
CVSS 2.x
9.3 HIGH
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
RedHat/V2
5.1 MODERATE
AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
RedHat/V3
Ubuntu
MEDIUM

Race condition in libssl in Mozilla Network Security Services (NSS) before 3.15.4, as used in Mozilla Firefox before 27.0, Firefox ESR 24.x before 24.3, Thunderbird before 24.3, SeaMonkey before 2.24, and other products, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (use-after-free) or possibly have unspecified other impact via vectors involving a resumption handshake that triggers incorrect replacement of a session ticket.

Weakness

The product contains a concurrent code sequence that requires temporary, exclusive access to a shared resource, but a timing window exists in which the shared resource can be modified by another code sequence operating concurrently.

Affected Software

Name Vendor Start Version End Version
Firefox Mozilla * 27.0 (excluding)
Firefox_esr Mozilla * 24.3 (excluding)
Network_security_services Mozilla * 3.15.4 (excluding)
Seamonkey Mozilla * 2.24 (excluding)
Thunderbird Mozilla * 24.3.0 (excluding)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 RedHat nss-0:3.16.1-2.el5 *
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 RedHat nspr-0:4.10.6-1.el6_5 *
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 RedHat nss-0:3.16.1-4.el6_5 *
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 RedHat nss-util-0:3.16.1-1.el6_5 *
Firefox Ubuntu lucid *
Firefox Ubuntu precise *
Firefox Ubuntu quantal *
Firefox Ubuntu saucy *
Firefox Ubuntu upstream *
Nss Ubuntu upstream *
Thunderbird Ubuntu devel *
Thunderbird Ubuntu lucid *
Thunderbird Ubuntu precise *
Thunderbird Ubuntu quantal *
Thunderbird Ubuntu saucy *
Thunderbird Ubuntu upstream *

Extended Description

A race condition occurs within concurrent environments, and it is effectively a property of a code sequence. Depending on the context, a code sequence may be in the form of a function call, a small number of instructions, a series of program invocations, etc. A race condition violates these properties, which are closely related:

A race condition exists when an “interfering code sequence” can still access the shared resource, violating exclusivity. The interfering code sequence could be “trusted” or “untrusted.” A trusted interfering code sequence occurs within the product; it cannot be modified by the attacker, and it can only be invoked indirectly. An untrusted interfering code sequence can be authored directly by the attacker, and typically it is external to the vulnerable product.

Potential Mitigations

  • Minimize the usage of shared resources in order to remove as much complexity as possible from the control flow and to reduce the likelihood of unexpected conditions occurring.
  • Additionally, this will minimize the amount of synchronization necessary and may even help to reduce the likelihood of a denial of service where an attacker may be able to repeatedly trigger a critical section (CWE-400).

References