FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2008-3835

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-09-24

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.0.0.16 or later.

See remediation →

84/100

Remediation priority · High

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

The nsXMLDocument::OnChannelRedirect function in Mozilla Firefox before 2.0.0.17, Thunderbird before 2.0.0.17, and SeaMonkey before 1.1.12 allows remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy and execute arbitrary JavaScript code via unknown vectors.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The nsXMLDocument::OnChannelRedirect function in older Firefox, Thunderbird, and SeaMonkey versions fails to properly enforce the Same Origin Policy during XML channel redirects, allowing attackers to inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of a different domain.

MitigationUpgrade affected applications to Firefox 2.0.0.17+, Thunderbird 2.0.0.17+, SeaMonkey 1.1.12+, or preferably to current supported versions to eliminate this and other historical vulnerabilities.

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:<= 2.0.0.16= 0.8= 0.9= 0.9.1= 0.9.2= 0.9.3= 0.9_rc= 0.10= 0.10.1= 1.0= 1.0.1= 1.0.2

SeamonkeyApplication

Affected:all versions<= 1.1.11= 1.0= 1.0.1= 1.0.2= 1.0.3= 1.0.4= 1.0.5= 1.0.6= 1.0.7= 1.0.8= 1.0.9

ThunderbirdApplication

Affected:all versions<= 2.0.0.16= 0.1= 0.2= 0.3= 0.4= 0.5= 0.6= 0.7= 0.7.1= 0.7.2= 0.7.3

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, SeaMonkey, or Thunderbird by looking for their executables or application directories (e.g., check Program Files on Windows, /Applications on macOS, or package manager listings on Linux)

Affected if Any of these three products is installed - the vulnerability affects all three
Check Firefox version

Run 'firefox -version' or look in Firefox's about dialog or application properties file

Affected if Version is 2.0.0.16 or lower, or matches 0.8, 0.9, 0.9.1, 0.9.2, 0.9.3, 0.9_rc, 0.10, 0.10.1, 1.0, 1.0.1, or 1.0.2
Check SeaMonkey version

Run 'seamonkey -version' or look in SeaMonkey's about dialog or application properties file

Affected if Any version, or specifically 1.1.11 or lower, or matches 1.0 through 1.0.9 (any 1.0.x)
Check Thunderbird version

Run 'thunderbird -version' or look in Thunderbird's about dialog or application properties file

Affected if Version is 2.0.0.16 or lower, or matches 0.1 through 0.7.3 (any 0.x version)

The environment is affected if Firefox 2.0.0.16 or earlier (including 0.8-1.0.2), any SeaMonkey version (especially 1.1.11 or earlier or 1.0.x), or Thunderbird 2.0.0.16 or earlier (including 0.x) is installed and the XML channel redirect feature is in use.

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

Remediation

From vendor data

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.0.0.16

Interim mitigation

Upgrade affected applications to Firefox 2.0.0.17+, Thunderbird 2.0.0.17+, SeaMonkey 1.1.12+, or preferably to current supported versions to eliminate this and other historical vulnerabilities.

Fix this in Firefox Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation1.0 h
Implementation1.0 h
Testing1.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

4.0 hours of engineering $750

Get the upgrade done

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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-2008-3835 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2008-3835?

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 2.0.0.16 or later

Severity 7.5 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 2.1%

Affects: Firefox

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Firefox 4 hrs · Low

Typical engagement from $750

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2008-3835 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