Firefox “Lambda Replace Heap Memory” Security Flaw Reveals Sensitive User Information   - 1,358 Views, 1 Comment

A security flaw known as the “JavaScript Lambda Replace Heap Memory Disclosure Vulnerability” has been found in the popular Firefox web browser. Firefox is an open source web browser which is available for Windows, OS X, and Linux, and which has experienced significant adoption in the past 18 months.

The new security flaw, which compromises the user’s “heap memory”, was discovered and announced by security company Secunia. While not exploitable by phishers or hackers seeking to gain access to the user’s computer, it can expose sensitive information both received from and entered in at websites which the user has visited.

Explained Thomas Kristensen, CTO of Secunia, “Unlike other browser flaws, this one is not subject to phishing or access to the system. But it can expose sensitive information from other websites you visited and the information you entered there.”

The Mozilla Foundation, which created Firefox, is working on a patch. In the meantime, Secunia has created a test which users can use to determine whether their system is at risk for exposure through the flaw. If so, Secunia recommends disabling JavaScript support on the user’s system until the Mozilla Foundation releases a patch.