FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2008-2802

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, Thunderbird 2.0.0.14 and earlier, and SeaMonkey before 1.1.10 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an XUL document that includes a script from a chrome: URI that points to a fastload file, related to this file's "privilege level."

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey where an XUL document can include scripts from chrome: URIs pointing to fastload files, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code due to improper privilege level handling in the fastload file mechanism.

MitigationUpdate affected products to fixed versions: Firefox 2.0.0.15+, Thunderbird 2.0.0.14+, or SeaMonkey 1.1.10+, or migrate to newer supported versions of these 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

ThunderbirdApplication

Affected:<= 2.0.0.14= 2.0.0.0= 2.0.0.1= 2.0.0.2= 2.0.0.3= 2.0.0.4= 2.0.0.5= 2.0.0.6= 2.0.0.8= 2.0.0.9= 2.0.0.11= 2.0.0.12

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 installed Mozilla product

Check for presence of Firefox, Thunderbird, or SeaMonkey in system (Windows: Program Files, Linux: /usr/bin or /opt, Mac: /Applications)

Affected if Any of these three products are installed
Determine Firefox version

Run 'firefox -version' or check Help > About Firefox in the application, or check Windows registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Mozilla Firefox\CurrentVersion

Affected if Version is 2.0, or any 2.0.0.x version through 2.0.0.14
Determine SeaMonkey version

Run 'seamonkey -version' or check Help > About SeaMonkey in the application

Affected if Version is 1.1 through 1.1.9 inclusive, or specifically 1.1.2 through 1.1.8
Determine Thunderbird version

Run 'thunderbird -version' or check Help > About Thunderbird in the application, or check Windows registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Mozilla Thunderbird\CurrentVersion

Affected if Version is 2.0.0.0 through 2.0.0.14 inclusive, or any of the specific versions listed (2.0.0.1-2.0.0.13, skipping some)
Confirm fastload file usage

Check if XUL-based extensions or custom XUL documents are loaded from chrome: URIs in the browser/profile (look in profile directory for .fastload files or chrome.manifest references)

Affected if Custom XUL extensions or chrome: URI scripts utilizing fastload files are present

The environment is affected if Firefox 2.0.x through 2.0.0.14, SeaMonkey 1.1.x through 1.1.9, or Thunderbird 2.0.0.x through 2.0.0.14 is installed and custom XUL/chrome extensions using fastload files are loaded.

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

Update affected products to fixed versions: Firefox 2.0.0.15+, Thunderbird 2.0.0.14+, or SeaMonkey 1.1.10+, or migrate to newer supported versions of these applications.

Fix this in Firefox Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation2.0 h
Implementation4.0 h
Testing2.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

9.0 hours of engineering $1,600

Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-2802 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2008-2802?

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 3.8%

Affects: Firefox

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Firefox 9 hrs · Low

Typical engagement from $1,600

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2008-2802 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