FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2008-2801

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-07-07

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.0.0.14 or later.

See remediation →

84/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

Mozilla Firefox before 2.0.0.15 and SeaMonkey before 1.1.10 do not properly implement JAR signing, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) injection of JavaScript into documents within a JAR archive or (2) a JAR archive that uses relative URLs to JavaScript files.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Mozilla Firefox before 2.0.0.15 and SeaMonkey before 1.1.10 have a flaw in JAR archive handling where the browser fails to properly validate JAR signatures. This allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript into documents within a JAR archive or use relative URLs to JavaScript files within the JAR, leading to arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpgrade affected browsers to Firefox 2.0.0.15+, SeaMonkey 1.1.10+, or later stable versions. For enterprise environments, test browser updates in a staging environment before mass deployment to ensure compatibility with internal applications.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

FirefoxWeb browser

Affected:<= 2.0.0.14= 2.0= 2.0.0.1= 2.0.0.2= 2.0.0.3= 2.0.0.4= 2.0.0.5= 2.0.0.6= 2.0.0.7= 2.0.0.8= 2.0.0.9= 2.0.0.10

SeamonkeyApplication

Affected:<= 1.1.9= 1.1= 1.1.2= 1.1.3= 1.1.4= 1.1.5= 1.1.6= 1.1.7= 1.1.8

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Authentication: None
Confidentiality: Partial
Integrity: Partial
Availability: Partial

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Identify the browser product

Open the browser and look at the application name in the title bar or menu, or check Add/Remove Programs (Windows), Applications folder (Mac), or package manager (Linux)

Affected if The product is Mozilla Firefox or SeaMonkey
Check Firefox version

In Firefox, go to Help > About Mozilla Firefox, or type 'about:config' in the address bar and look for the version entry, or run 'firefox -v' from command line

Affected if Version is 2.0.0.14 or lower, or any 2.0.x version from 2.0 through 2.0.0.10 (2.0.0.11-14 also affected)
Check SeaMonkey version

In SeaMonkey, go to Help > About SeaMonkey, or run 'seamonkey -v' from command line

Affected if Version is 1.1.9 or lower, or any 1.1.x version from 1.1 through 1.1.8 (1.1.9 also affected)
Confirm JAR handling is in use

This vulnerability affects JAR archive handling which is a built-in feature used when opening or caching web content from JAR archives. No specific config change needed as this is default browser behavior.

Affected if The browser processes web content from JAR archives (standard web browsing behavior)

You are affected if you run Firefox 2.0.x up to 2.0.0.14 or SeaMonkey 1.1.x up to 1.1.9 and browse websites that serve content via JAR archives.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

From vendor data

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.0.0.14

Interim mitigation

Upgrade affected browsers to Firefox 2.0.0.15+, SeaMonkey 1.1.10+, or later stable versions. For enterprise environments, test browser updates in a staging environment before mass deployment to ensure compatibility with internal applications.

Fix this in Firefox Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation3.0 h
Implementation6.0 h
Testing3.0 h
Review / QA2.0 h

14.0 hours of engineering $2,490

Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-2801 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2008-2801?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to after 2.0.0.14 or later

Severity 7.5 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 2.8%

Affects: Firefox

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Firefox 14 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $2,490

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2008-2801 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

Check your environment

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References