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Firefox MobileWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2012-1139

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-04-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 10.0.3 or later.
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
Array index error in FreeType before 2.4.9, as used in Mozilla Firefox Mobile before 10.0.4 and other products, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (invalid stack read operation and memory corruption) or possibly execute arbitrary code via crafted glyph data in a BDF font.

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

FreeType before version 2.4.9 contains an array index error in its BDF font parser. When processing crafted glyph data in BDF font files, the parser reads from invalid array indices, causing an invalid stack read operation that leads to memory corruption. This can be exploited for denial of service or potentially arbitrary code execution.

MitigationUpdate FreeType library to version 2.4.9 or later. If using Mozilla Firefox Mobile, update to version 10.0.4 or later. Validate that all BDF font processing goes through the updated library.

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
Firefox MobileWeb browser
Affected:<= 10.0.3= 1.0= 4.0= 5.0= 6.0= 6.0.1= 6.0.2= 7.0= 8.0= 9.0= 10.0= 10.0.1
FreetypeApplication
Affected:<= 2.4.8= 1.3.1= 2.0.0= 2.0.1= 2.0.2= 2.0.3= 2.0.4= 2.0.5= 2.0.6= 2.0.7= 2.0.8= 2.0.9

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. Identify the FreeType library version in use
    Query the installed FreeType library version using pkg-config (pkg-config --modversion freetype2) or by checking the library binary directly with strings or a version tool. On systems with multiple FreeType installations, identify all instances.
    Affected if The reported version is 2.4.8 or earlier, or matches any of these affected versions: 1.3.1, 2.0.0 through 2.0.9, or any version <= 2.4.8.
  2. Locate applications linked against vulnerable FreeType
    Use tools like ldd on Linux, otool on macOS, or Dependency Walker on Windows to list executables and libraries that link to libfreetype. Check both system libraries and bundled copies within applications.
    Affected if Any application binary is linked against a FreeType library version matching the affected versions listed above.
  3. Determine if BDF font processing is occurring
    Inspect the font files being processed by the application. Identify whether BDF (Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format) font files (.bdf extension) are being loaded, parsed, or rendered. Search application logs or font configuration for BDF font references.
    Affected if The application is actively loading, parsing, or rendering BDF format font files using the vulnerable FreeType library.
  4. Check Mozilla Firefox Mobile version if applicable
    If the environment includes Mozilla Firefox Mobile (Android), check the installed application version through the Android package manager or application settings.
    Affected if Firefox Mobile version is 10.0.3 or earlier, or exactly matches: 1.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.2, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 10.0.1, or 10.0.3.

You are affected if FreeType library version is 2.4.8 or earlier (or one of the specific affected 2.x versions) AND your application or environment processes BDF font files using that library, or if Firefox Mobile matches any of the vulnerable versions listed.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 10.0.3
Interim mitigation

Update FreeType library to version 2.4.9 or later. If using Mozilla Firefox Mobile, update to version 10.0.4 or later. Validate that all BDF font processing goes through the updated library.

Recommended fix High confidence

FreeType 2.4.9 or later; Firefox Mobile 10.0.4 or later

  1. Upgrade FreeType library to version 2.4.9 or later
  2. If using Firefox Mobile, upgrade to version 10.0.4 or later
  3. Verify the upgrade by checking the FreeType library version (freetype-config --version or ftversion)
  4. For systems using FreeType as a shared library, ensure the updated library is properly installed and linked
  5. Restart any applications that use FreeType to ensure they load the patched library

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

Fix this in Firefox Mobile Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,560
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,096.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
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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-2012-1139 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