CVE-2015-4495
Redhat Enterprise Linux Eus 6.7 … 7.7
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2015-4495 is a high-severity Origin Validation Error (CWE-346) vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux Eus. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique DHCP Spoofing (T1557.003); ranked in the top 0.7% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The vulnerability is a same-origin policy bypass in the PDF reader component of Mozilla Firefox before version 39.0.3, Firefox ESR 38.x before 38.1.1, and Firefox OS before 2.2. It is triggered by specially crafted JavaScript that interacts with a native setter, allowing violation of origin boundaries. The issue is tracked as CVE-2015-4495 with a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 and is associated with CWE-346.
Remote attackers can exploit the flaw by serving a malicious PDF that executes in the browser or Firefox OS environment. Successful exploitation permits reading arbitrary local files and obtaining elevated privileges without requiring authentication, though user interaction is needed to open the document. The vulnerability was observed being exploited in the wild during August 2015.
Advisories from openSUSE detail the availability of updated Firefox packages that resolve the issue for affected distributions, recommending immediate application of the patches listed in the August 2015 security announcements. The flaw's public exploitation at the time of disclosure underscores the need for rapid deployment of the fixes across all supported Firefox versions.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2015-4515
Vulnerability Data
The PDF reader in Mozilla Firefox before 39.0.3, Firefox ESR 38.x before 38.1.1, and Firefox OS before 2.2 allows remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy, and read arbitrary files or gain privileges, via vectors involving crafted JavaScript code…
more
and a native setter, as exploited in the wild in August 2015.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 25 May 2022
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 3 hardening rules · 1 OS baseline
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Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Requires unique identification of the service before communications, addressing failures to validate the origin of the interaction.
Trusted path establishment enforces validation that the communication originates from and reaches only the intended trusted system components.
Enforces validation of the true origin of DNS responses via signatures and chain-of-trust mechanisms.
Enforces origin validation of name/address data, eliminating reliance on unverified or impersonated DNS sources.
Mandates origin validation so that only legitimate endpoints can continue the authenticated session.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Authentication directly verifies the source of users/services/hardware, mitigating origin validation failures.
Verifying identity assertions enforces origin validation for conveyed claims.
Documenting authorized flows supports origin validation by defining expected sources.
Protecting networks from unauthorized access requires origin checks on communication sources.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Network security controls enforce origin validation at network boundaries.
Security of network services includes validating the authenticity of service endpoints.
Network segregation reduces exposure but does not directly validate origins.
Application security requirements explicitly call for origin validation of inputs and communications.
Secure architecture principles encourage origin checks but do not mandate them.
Secure coding practices include implementing proper origin validation to prevent spoofing.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (3 rules)
- V-248574 YUM must be configured to prevent the installation of patches, service packs, device drivers, or OL 8 system components that have not been digitally signed using a certificate that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-346
- V-248575 OL 8 must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components of local packages without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-346
- V-248827 OL 8 must not have the rsh-server package installed. prevents CWE-346