CVE-2024-6600 is a vulnerability identified in Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird products running on macOS platforms. The root cause is an insufficiently strict allocation check in the Angle graphics abstraction layer, specifically related to GLSL shader memory management. When the software attempts to allocate more than 8192 integers in private shader memory, the lenient checks allow an out-of-bounds memory access. This can lead to memory corruption, which may be exploited to cause partial compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected application. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-770 (Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.3, reflecting a medium severity level, with attack vector as network, low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary. The scope is unchanged, meaning the impact is confined to the vulnerable application. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The affected versions include Firefox versions prior to 128 and ESR versions prior to 115.13, as well as Thunderbird versions prior to 115.13 and 128. Since the flaw is specific to macOS, exploitation is limited to users on that platform. The vulnerability could be leveraged by an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service by triggering out-of-bounds memory access during shader compilation or execution. This highlights the importance of timely patching and monitoring for suspicious activity related to shader processing in these applications.

For European organizations, the vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to users running Firefox or Thunderbird on macOS systems. Potential impacts include partial leakage of sensitive information, corruption of application data, or denial of service conditions leading to application crashes. This could disrupt business operations, especially in sectors relying heavily on these applications for communication and web access. Since the attack requires user interaction, phishing or malicious web content could be vectors for exploitation. Organizations with macOS endpoints and significant Firefox/Thunderbird usage should be particularly vigilant. The impact is somewhat limited by the platform specificity and the need for user interaction, but the widespread use of these products in Europe means a large attack surface exists. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged as part of multi-stage attacks targeting high-value assets or intellectual property. The lack of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits post-disclosure.

1. Apply updates promptly once Mozilla releases patched versions of Firefox and Thunderbird addressing CVE-2024-6600. 2. Until patches are available, consider restricting or monitoring the use of Firefox and Thunderbird on macOS endpoints, especially in sensitive environments. 3. Implement network-level protections such as web filtering and email scanning to block or flag potentially malicious content that could trigger the vulnerability. 4. Educate users about the risks of interacting with untrusted web content or email attachments, emphasizing caution on macOS devices. 5. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring anomalous memory allocation or shader-related activities within these applications. 6. Review and tighten application sandboxing and privilege restrictions on macOS to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 7. Maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from any exploitation attempts. 8. Monitor Mozilla security advisories and CVE databases for updates or emerging exploit reports related to this vulnerability.