FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla
CVE-2012-0473
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 · uneditedThe WebGLBuffer::FindMaxUshortElement function in Mozilla Firefox 4.x through 11.0, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.4, Thunderbird 5.0 through 11.0, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.4, and SeaMonkey before 2.9 calls the FindMaxElementInSubArray function with incorrect template arguments, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information from video memory via a crafted WebGL.drawElements call.
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 confidenceA template argument mismatch in Mozilla's WebGL implementation causes the FindMaxUshortElement function to read beyond intended array bounds when processing WebGL.drawElements calls, allowing attackers to leak sensitive data from video memory.
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
= 4.0= 4.0.1= 5.0= 5.0.1= 6.0= 6.0.1= 6.0.2= 7.0= 7.0.1= 8.0= 8.0.1= 9.0= 5.0= 6.0= 6.0.1= 6.0.2= 7.0= 7.0.1= 8.0= 9.0= 9.0.1= 10.0= 10.0.1= 10.0.2= 10.0= 10.0.1= 10.0.2= 10.0.3<= 2.9= 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= 1.1CVSS 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
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the installed Mozilla productDetermine whether Firefox, Thunderbird, or SeaMonkey is installed by checking the application name in Add/Remove Programs or the application executableAffected if N/A - this identifies which product to check
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Determine the installed versionFor Firefox: go to Help > About Firefox. For Thunderbird: go to Help > About Thunderbird. For SeaMonkey: go to Help > About SeaMonkey. Note the version number displayed.Affected if The version matches any of the following: Firefox 4.0, 4.0.1, 5.0, 5.0.1, 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.2, 7.0, 7.0.1, 8.0, 8.0.1, 9.0; Thunderbird 5.0, 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.2, 7.0, 7.0.1, 8.0, 9.0, 9.0.1, 10.0, 10.0.1, 10.0.2; Thunderbird ESR 10.0, 10.0.1, 10.0.2, 10.0.3; SeaMonkey versions <=2.9 or 1.0 through 1.1
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Verify WebGL is enabledIn Firefox: type 'about:config' in the address bar, search for 'webgl.enabled', and confirm the value is true. In SeaMonkey: check Tools > Page Info > General or browser settings for WebGL status.Affected if WebGL is enabled in the browser settings (the vulnerability only triggers when WebGL is active)
You are affected if your installed Mozilla product version matches the affected list AND WebGL is enabled in your browser settings.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpgrade affected Mozilla products to patched versions (Firefox 12.0+, Firefox ESR 10.0.4+, Thunderbird 12.0+, Thunderbird ESR 10.0.4+, SeaMonkey 2.9+) or disable WebGL in browser settings as a temporary workaround.
Fix this in Firefox
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,304.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-0473 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-0473 in production — separate from our analysis above.
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
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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.
- 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
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