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FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2010-0165

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-03-25
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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.

NVD · unedited
The TraceRecorder::traverseScopeChain function in js/src/jstracer.cpp in the browser engine in Mozilla Firefox 3.6 before 3.6.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via vectors involving certain indirect calls to the JavaScript eval function.

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.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A memory corruption vulnerability exists in Mozilla Firefox 3.6's JavaScript tracing engine (js/src/jstracer.cpp) within the TraceRecorder::traverseScopeChain function. The flaw is triggered through indirect calls to the JavaScript eval function, leading to application crash (denial of service) and potential arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpdate Mozilla Firefox to version 3.6.2 or later to resolve the vulnerability in the TraceRecorder::traverseScopeChain function.

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

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.

NVD · CPE data
FirefoxWeb browser
Affected:= 3.6

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.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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.

dbcve checks

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

  1. Verify Firefox is installed
    Check for Firefox executable or application files. On Windows, look in Program Files\Mozilla Firefox or check registry. On Linux, run 'which firefox' or check /usr/lib/firefox. On macOS, check /Applications/Firefox.app
    Affected if Firefox is not installed on the system
  2. Determine installed Firefox version
    Run 'firefox --version' from command line, or on Windows check the version property of firefox.exe, or on macOS run 'defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info.plist CFBundleVersion'
    Affected if Cannot determine the Firefox version
  3. Compare version against CVE-2010-0165 affected range
    The affected version is exactly 3.6 (not a range). Compare your detected version to confirm it is exactly 3.6
    Affected if Installed version is exactly 3.6 - this is the sole affected version for this CVE
  4. Confirm JavaScript tracing component is present
    The vulnerability exists in the JavaScript tracing engine (js/src/jstracer.cpp). This is a built-in component of Firefox 3.6 and is enabled by default. No additional configuration check needed for version 3.6
    Affected if Running Firefox 3.6 means the vulnerable js/src/jstracer.cpp component is present and the TraceRecorder::traverseScopeChain function is available

The system is affected only if the installed Firefox version is exactly 3.6, as this CVE affects that specific version only.

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

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update Mozilla Firefox to version 3.6.2 or later to resolve the vulnerability in the TraceRecorder::traverseScopeChain function.

Recommended fix High confidence

Firefox 3.6.2 or later (such as Firefox 3.6.3)

  1. 1. Back up any important browser data (bookmarks, passwords, extensions) from the current Firefox 3.6 installation
  2. 2. Download Firefox 3.6.2 or a later stable version (such as Firefox 3.6.3) from the official Mozilla archives or a trusted source
  3. 3. Close all Firefox instances and any applications using the browser engine
  4. 4. Install the newer Firefox version by running the downloaded installer
  5. 5. After installation, verify the version by navigating to Help > About Firefox and confirm the version number is 3.6.2 or higher
  6. 6. Test that the browser launches and functions normally
Caveat Firefox 3.6 is very old (2010); some older extensions or plugins may not be compatible with newer versions; ensure critical web applications are tested for compatibility

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

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

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-0165 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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