Case Study Assignment

NET405
0120

Mozilla says a new Firefox security bug is under active attack

Mozilla has warned Firefox users to update their browser to the latest version after security
researchers found a vulnerability that hackers were actively exploiting in “targeted attacks” against
users.

The vulnerability, found by Chinese security company Qihoo 360, was found in Firefox’s just-in-time
compiler. The compiler is tasked with speeding up performance of JavaScript to make websites load
faster. But researchers found that the bug could allow malicious JavaScript to run outside of the
browser on the host computer.

In practical terms, that means an attacker can quietly break into a victim’s computer by tricking the
victim into accessing a website running malicious JavaScript code.

But Qihoo did not say precisely how the bug was exploited, who the attackers were, or who was
targeted.

Browser vulnerabilities are a hot commodity in security circles as they can be used to infect
vulnerable computers — often silently and without the user noticing — and be used to deliver
malware or ransomware. Browsers are also a target for nation states and governments and their use
of surveillance tools, known as network investigative techniques — or NITs. These vulnerability-
exploiting tools have been used by federal agents to spy on and catch criminals. But these tools have
drawn ire from the security community because the feds’ failure to disclose the bugs to the software
makers could result in bad actors exploiting the same vulnerabilities for malicious purposes.

Mozilla issued the security advisory for Firefox 72, which had only been out for two days before the
vulnerability was found.
Homeland Security’s cyber advisory unit, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, also
issued a security warning, advising users to update to Firefox 72.0.1, which fixes the vulnerability.
Little information was given about the bug, only that it could be used to “take control of an affected
system.”

Firefox users can update their browser from the settings.

Question

1. Suggest any security management model/ cycle that underpinning the security
countermeasure. Explain why do you proposed this model/ cycle.

According to this security management, suggest THREE related activities that can be
undertaken by Mozilla to overcome the attack.

2. Identify any vulnerability that might become an attacker’s spot to launch their attack.

3. Other than issued a security warning, suggest and explain THREE services that may provided
by Homeland Security’s cyber advisory to increase the security awareness among the user.