In this blog post demonstrates how to steal user data through web browsers using a vulnerability in Firefox's implementation of . This is a continuation of our research into serious flaws that could affect any browser which implements WebGL, currently and Firefox.

Context has been researching the new graphics , WebGL, which allows web pages to draw fast 3D graphics in a similar manner to computer games. This exciting technology has the capability to deliver a much richer experience to web users.

However, to enable this impressive breakthrough in online technology, web browsers (currently Chrome and Firefox) have had to expose low level parts of their operating systems which previously could not be directly accessed by potentially malicious web pages, thus creating a number of potential security vulnerabilities.

Context identified this (and other) issues with WebGL by evaluating Chrome and Firefox WebGL implementations against the conformance test suite devised by Khronos, the consortium which draws up the WebGL specification. We have established that none of the current implementations comply with this standard.

Furthermore, Context's research found that Khronos' recommended defence against the DoS issue (WebGL_ARB_robustness) is not fit for purpose. First, only certain chipsets and operating systems ( on Windows and Linux) support this feature. Moreover, this extension only offers mitigation, not a comprehensive solution to WebGL DoS issues.

In the below, we show how anyone running Firefox 4 with WebGL support is vulnerable to having malicious web pages capture screenshots of any on their system. These screenshots could be of other web pages, the user's and other applications that run on their system.

via MacWorld and Context