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FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2013-1717

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-08-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 22.0 or later.
See remediation →
63/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Mozilla Firefox before 23.0, Firefox ESR 17.x before 17.0.8, Thunderbird before 17.0.8, Thunderbird ESR 17.x before 17.0.8, and SeaMonkey before 2.20 do not properly restrict local-filesystem access by Java applets, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to read arbitrary files by leveraging a download to a fixed pathname or other predictable pathname.

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

Java applets in affected Mozilla products (Firefox, Firefox ESR, Thunderbird, Thunderbird ESR, SeaMonkey) had insufficient restrictions on local filesystem access. This allowed remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the system by tricking users into downloading files to fixed or predictable pathname locations, combined with Java applet code to access those files.

MitigationUpgrade to Firefox 23.0 or later, Firefox ESR 17.0.8 or later, Thunderbird 17.0.8 or later, or SeaMonkey 2.20 or later. Alternatively, disable Java plugin/applets in the browser as a workaround.

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:<= 22.0= 19.0= 19.0.1= 19.0.2= 20.0= 20.0.1= 21.0= 17.0= 17.0.1= 17.0.2= 17.0.3= 17.0.4
Thunderbird EsrApplication
Affected:= 17.0= 17.0.1= 17.0.2= 17.0.3= 17.0.4= 17.0.5= 17.0.6= 17.0.7
SeamonkeyApplication
Affected:<= 2.20= 2.0= 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= 2.0.10
ThunderbirdApplication
Affected:<= 17.0.7= 17.0= 17.0.1= 17.0.2= 17.0.3= 17.0.4= 17.0.5= 17.0.6

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
High
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
None
Availability
None

AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/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 checks

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

  1. Identify the installed Mozilla product and version
    Check the application version in the browser's About menu (e.g., Help > About Firefox) or run 'firefox --version', 'thunderbird --version', or 'seamonkey --version' from command line
    Affected if The version matches one listed in the affected versions for the product
  2. Confirm the specific Mozilla product in use
    Determine whether the browser is Firefox, Thunderbird, Thunderbird ESR, or SeaMonkey - the affected version ranges differ by product
    Affected if The product is one of Firefox, Thunderbird, Thunderbird ESR, or SeaMonkey and the version is within the affected ranges
  3. Verify if Java plugin is enabled in the browser
    In Firefox, go to Add-ons > Plugins and check for the Java platform SE plugin status; in Thunderbird/SeaMonkey, check the same in their respective plugin managers
    Affected if Java plugin is set to 'Always Activate' or enabled - the vulnerability requires Java applets to be active in the browser
  4. Confirm Java applets can run in the browser environment
    Visit a site that tests Java applet functionality or check browser settings at 'about:plugins' for Java Platform SE entries
    Affected if Java applet support is available and enabled - the vulnerability can only be exploited when Java applets can execute

A user is affected only if they run an affected Firefox, Thunderbird, Thunderbird ESR, or SeaMonkey version AND have Java plugin/applets enabled in that browser.

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 22.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Firefox 23.0 or later, Firefox ESR 17.0.8 or later, Thunderbird 17.0.8 or later, or SeaMonkey 2.20 or later. Alternatively, disable Java plugin/applets in the browser as a workaround.

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
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2013-1717 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