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Netscape Portable RuntimeApplication · Mozilla

CVE-2014-1545

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-06-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 4.10.5 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
Mozilla Netscape Portable Runtime (NSPR) before 4.10.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write) via vectors involving the sprintf and console functions.

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

Mozilla Netscape Portable Runtime (NSPR) versions before 4.10.6 contain an out-of-bounds write vulnerability triggered through sprintf and console functions, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service.

MitigationUpgrade NSPR to version 4.10.6 or later; if NSPR is bundled with applications (e.g., Firefox, Thunderbird), update those applications to versions incorporating the patched NSPR 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
Netscape Portable RuntimeApplication
Affected:<= 4.10.5= 4.1.1= 4.1.2= 4.2= 4.2.2= 4.3= 4.4.1= 4.5.1= 4.6= 4.6.1= 4.6.2= 4.6.3

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
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/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. Locate NSPR library files
    Search for nspr library files on the system: on Linux/Unix run 'find /usr -name "libnspr4*" 2>/dev/null' or check /usr/lib; on Windows search for nspr4.dll in system directories and application folders
    Affected if NSPR library files are present on the system
  2. Determine installed NSPR version
    Run 'nspr-config --version' if available, or examine the library file directly using 'strings libnspr4.so | grep "4\."' or checking file metadata. On Windows, right-click nspr4.dll and view Properties > Details for version info
    Affected if The reported version is 4.10.5 or earlier, or matches any of these: 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.2, 4.2.2, 4.3, 4.4.1, 4.5.1, 4.6, 4.6.1, 4.6.2, 4.6.3
  3. Check for NSPR bundled with Firefox or Thunderbird
    If NSPR is bundled with a Mozilla application, identify the application version: Firefox runs 'firefox --version' or check Help > About; Thunderbird runs 'thunderbird --version' or check Help > About. NSPR version typically matches the application release cycle
    Affected if Firefox version is before 31, Thunderbird version is before 31, or the bundled NSPR library version is vulnerable per step 2
  4. Verify if console or sprintf functions are in use
    Review application logs and configuration for use of console output functions that may trigger the vulnerable sprintf code path. This is a code-level check - the vulnerability requires the console feature or sprintf-based logging to be exercised
    Affected if The application uses console output or logging functions that invoke the vulnerable sprintf code path in NSPR

You are affected if NSPR version 4.10.5 or lower, or any of the specific listed versions (4.1.1 through 4.6.3), is installed either standalone or bundled with an older Mozilla application, and the vulnerable code path is reachable through console or sprintf functions.

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 4.10.5
Interim mitigation

Upgrade NSPR to version 4.10.6 or later; if NSPR is bundled with applications (e.g., Firefox, Thunderbird), update those applications to versions incorporating the patched NSPR library.

Recommended fix High confidence

NSPR 4.10.6 or later

  1. Identify the NSPR library currently in use by checking your application's dependencies or system packages
  2. For systems using package managers (e.g., yum, apt, zypper), update the nspr package to version 4.10.6 or later using the appropriate package manager command (e.g., 'yum update nspr', 'apt-get install libnspr4', 'zypper update nspr')
  3. If building from source, download NSPR version 4.10.6 or later from the Mozilla archives (ftp://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/nspr/)
  4. Rebuild and redeploy any applications that link against NSPR to ensure they use the updated library
  5. Verify the fix by confirming the installed NSPR version is 4.10.6 or higher using 'nspr-config --version' or checking the library file version

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

Fix this in Netscape Portable Runtime Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
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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-2014-1545 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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