FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2013-1687

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-06-26

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 21.0 or later.

See remediation →

100/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

The System Only Wrapper (SOW) and Chrome Object Wrapper (COW) implementations in Mozilla Firefox before 22.0, Firefox ESR 17.x before 17.0.7, Thunderbird before 17.0.7, and Thunderbird ESR 17.x before 17.0.7 do not properly restrict XBL user-defined functions, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code with chrome privileges, or conduct cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, via a crafted web site.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird contain improper restrictions in their XBL (XML Binding Language) user-defined function handling within the System Only Wrapper (SOW) and Chrome Object Wrapper (COW) security mechanisms. This allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript with elevated chrome privileges or conduct XSS attacks via malicious web pages.

MitigationUpgrade to Firefox 22.0 or later, Firefox ESR 17.0.7 or later, Thunderbird 17.0.7 or later, or Thunderbird ESR 17.0.7 or later. Alternatively, disable XBL in browser settings or restrict user access to untrusted websites until patching can be completed.

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:<= 21.0= 19.0= 19.0.1= 19.0.2= 20.0= 20.0.1= 17.0= 17.0.1= 17.0.2= 17.0.3= 17.0.4= 17.0.5

ThunderbirdApplication

Affected:<= 17.0.6= 17.0= 17.0.1= 17.0.2= 17.0.3= 17.0.4= 17.0.5

Thunderbird EsrApplication

Affected:= 17.0= 17.0.1= 17.0.2= 17.0.3= 17.0.4= 17.0.5= 17.0.6

CVSS breakdown

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?

dbcve checks

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

Check Firefox version on Windows

Open Firefox, click the menu button (three horizontal lines), select Help, then About Firefox. The version number is displayed in the window that opens.

Affected if The version shown is 17.0 through 17.0.5, 19.0 through 19.0.2, 20.0 through 20.0.1, or 21.0 or lower (for example, 21.0).
Check Firefox version on macOS

Open Firefox, click Firefox in the menu bar, then select About Firefox. The version number is displayed in the window that opens.

Affected if The version shown is 17.0 through 17.0.5, 19.0 through 19.0.2, 20.0 through 20.0.1, or 21.0 or lower.
Check Firefox version via command line

Run 'firefox --version' or 'firefox -v' in a terminal or command prompt.

Affected if The output shows a version in the ranges 17.0-17.0.5, 19.0-19.0.2, 20.0-20.0.1, or 21.0 or lower.
Check Thunderbird version on Windows

Open Thunderbird, click the menu button (three horizontal lines), select Help, then About Thunderbird. The version number is displayed.

Affected if The version shown is 17.0 through 17.0.6, or any version 17.0.x.
Check Thunderbird version on macOS

Open Thunderbird, click Thunderbird in the menu bar, then select About Thunderbird. The version number is displayed.

Affected if The version shown is 17.0 through 17.0.6, or any version 17.0.x.
Check Thunderbird version via command line

Run 'thunderbird --version' or 'thunderbird -v' in a terminal or command prompt.

Affected if The output shows a version in the range 17.0 through 17.0.6.

You are affected if Firefox version is 17.0-17.0.5, 19.0-19.0.2, 20.0-20.0.1, or 21.0 or lower, OR Thunderbird version is 17.0-17.0.6 (including all ESR variants in that range).

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 21.0

Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Firefox 22.0 or later, Firefox ESR 17.0.7 or later, Thunderbird 17.0.7 or later, or Thunderbird ESR 17.0.7 or later. Alternatively, disable XBL in browser settings or restrict user access to untrusted websites until patching can be completed.

Recommended fix High confidence

Firefox 22.0 (or later); Firefox ESR 17.0.7 (or later); Thunderbird 17.0.7 (or later); Thunderbird ESR 17.0.7 (or later)

Close all instances of Firefox or Thunderbird
Back up your profile data (bookmarks, passwords, extensions) as a precautionary measure
For Firefox users: Download and install Firefox 22.0 or later from the official Mozilla website
For Thunderbird users: Download and install Thunderbird 17.0.7 or later from the official Mozilla website
For Firefox ESR users: Upgrade to Firefox ESR 17.0.7 or later
For Thunderbird ESR users: Upgrade to Thunderbird ESR 17.0.7 or later
Restart the application after installation
Verify the version by checking Help > About Firefox or About Thunderbird

Caveat None - this is a security update with full backward compatibility for user data and settings

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
Testing2.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

5.0 hours of engineering $860

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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2013-1687 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2013-1687?

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 21.0 or later

Severity 9.3 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 3.3%

Affects: Firefox

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Firefox 5 hrs · Low

Typical engagement from $860

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2013-1687 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