Actively exploited vulnerability

Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird: code execution flaw under attack

CVE-2019-11708 · Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird Sandbox Escape Vulnerability

Concerns everyone who uses it10.0 critical

What is affected

Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird is found on ordinary personal computers and phones, so this is not only a problem for companies. If you use it and have not updated since the fix was released, you are exposed.

Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird contain a sandbox escape vulnerability that could result in remote code execution.

CISA's description

What an attacker can do

This is a code execution flaw. It lets an attacker run their own commands or programs on the affected system. In practice that usually means taking it over: installing malware, stealing data or using it to reach other devices on the same network.

How it is reached
Over the internet or network
Access the attacker needs
No account needed
Does the victim have to do something?
No, works without the victim doing anything

What to do

  1. Update Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird now. Open the update or "About" screen, install whatever is offered and restart the app or device, because the fix is not active until you do.
  2. Turn on automatic updates so the next fix arrives without you having to look for it.
  3. If your device is too old to receive this update, stop using the affected app for anything sensitive and plan a replacement.

Apply updates per vendor instructions.

Action required by CISA for US federal agencies

How urgent is it

CISA added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on May 23, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of attacks in the wild. US federal agencies must fix it by June 13, 2022, a deadline that has already passed. That deadline does not bind anyone else, but it shows how seriously the agency rates it.

The EPSS model estimates a 56% probability that this flaw will be exploited somewhere in the next 30 days. That is higher than 99.0% of all scored vulnerabilities.

Its CVSS severity score is 10.0 out of 10 (critical), as recorded in the US National Vulnerability Database.

Technical description

Insufficient vetting of parameters passed with the Prompt:Open IPC message between child and parent processes can result in the non-sandboxed parent process opening web content chosen by a compromised child process. When combined with additional vulnerabilities this could result in executing arbitrary code on the user's computer. This vulnerability affects Firefox ESR < 60.7.2, Firefox < 67.0.4, and Thunderbird < 60.7.2.

NIST National Vulnerability Database
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