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FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2012-0463

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-03-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 10.0 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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 nsWindow implementation in the browser engine in Mozilla Firefox before 3.6.28 and 4.x through 10.0, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.3, Thunderbird before 3.1.20 and 5.0 through 10.0, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.3, and SeaMonkey before 2.8 does not check the validity of an instance after event dispatching, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption and application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors, as demonstrated by Mobile Firefox on Android.

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

The nsWindow implementation in Mozilla's browser engine fails to validate object instance validity after event dispatching. This creates a use-after-free condition where memory references become invalid post-dispatch, potentially allowing remote attackers to trigger memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution or denial of service through application crashes.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied patches by updating to Firefox 3.6.28+/10.0.3+, Thunderbird 3.1.20+/10.0.3+, or SeaMonkey 2.8+ as appropriate for the affected product.

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:<= 3.6.27> 4.0, <= 10.0= 10.0= 10.0.1= 10.0.2
ThunderbirdApplication
Affected:>= 1.0, <= 3.1.19> 5.0, <= 10.0
Thunderbird EsrApplication
Affected:= 10.0= 10.0.1= 10.0.2
SeamonkeyApplication
Affected:all versions= 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= 1.1

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
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

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

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. Identify installed Mozilla product
    Check the application name in the system's program files or use the application's Help > About menu. Common executables: firefox.exe (Firefox), thunderbird.exe (Thunderbird), seamonkey.exe (SeaMonkey).
    Affected if product is Firefox, Thunderbird, Thunderbird ESR, or SeaMonkey
  2. Determine product version number
    Run the application and navigate to Help > About (or on Firefox: press Alt, then Help > About). Alternatively, check the application executable's properties in File Explorer, or use the command: 'firefox -v', 'thunderbird -v', or 'seamonkey -v' if available.
    Affected if version cannot be determined or is in the affected ranges
  3. Compare Firefox version against affected ranges
    If Firefox is installed, check if version is <= 3.6.27 OR (version > 4.0 and <= 10.0) OR version equals 10.0, 10.0.1, or 10.0.2.
    Affected if version matches any of these: <= 3.6.27, > 4.0 through 10.0.x, 10.0, 10.0.1, 10.0.2
  4. Compare Thunderbird version against affected ranges
    If Thunderbird is installed, check if version is >= 1.0 and <= 3.1.19, OR (version > 5.0 and <= 10.0), OR version equals 10.0, 10.0.1, or 10.0.2. Note: Thunderbird ESR versions 10.0.x are also affected.
    Affected if version matches: 1.0-3.1.19, > 5.0-10.0.x, 10.0.x
  5. Compare SeaMonkey version against affected ranges
    If SeaMonkey is installed, note that ALL versions are affected according to the advisory. This includes: 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, 1.1, and any versions beyond.
    Affected if any version of SeaMonkey is installed

The environment is affected if any installed Mozilla product (Firefox, Thunderbird, or SeaMonkey) matches the specific version ranges listed in the CVE, with SeaMonkey affected at all versions.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 10.0
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied patches by updating to Firefox 3.6.28+/10.0.3+, Thunderbird 3.1.20+/10.0.3+, or SeaMonkey 2.8+ as appropriate for the affected product.

Fix this in Firefox Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.

Scan for this in your stack

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dbcve dependency scanner

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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-2012-0463 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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