Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is fraught with potential pitfalls, and one such recently identified issue of critical concern is the CVE-2025-54145. This vulnerability, specifically affecting Firefox for iOS versions prior to 141, centers around the browser’s QR scanner feature, which could be manipulated to open arbitrary websites. This presents a significant security threat with the potential for system compromise or data leakage.
This vulnerability is of particular concern to anyone using the affected versions of Firefox for iOS. Its severity is underscored by the high CVSS score of 9.1, a clear indication of the potential damage that could be inflicted if not promptly addressed.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-54145
Severity: Critical (9.1 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Firefox for iOS | < 141 How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of Firefox’s open-text URL scheme via the QR scanner feature. By crafting a malicious link and tricking users into scanning it, an attacker could force the browser to open arbitrary websites. This could potentially lead to various harmful outcomes, such as system compromise, data leakage, or exposure to further attack vectors.
Conceptual Example Code
An example of how this vulnerability might be exploited could look something like this:
GET malicious_website.com/qr-code-generator?payload=exploit_code HTTP/1.1
Host: attacker.comIn this example, the attacker generates a QR code on their website that contains the exploit code. They then trick the victim into scanning this QR code using the vulnerable Firefox QR scanner feature, which subsequently opens a malicious website on the victim’s browser.
Recommended Mitigation Measures
To resolve this vulnerability, the most effective method is to apply the vendor patch provided by Firefox. Updating Firefox for iOS to version 141 or later will eliminate the vulnerability and secure the QR scanning feature against such attacks.
In the interim, before the patch can be applied, users can use Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) as temporary mitigation measures. These tools can help identify and block potentially harmful traffic, reducing the chances of a successful exploit. However, these are just temporary measures and the vendor patch should be applied as soon as possible to completely mitigate the vulnerability.