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FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2014-1578

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-10-15
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 32.0 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
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
The get_tile function in Mozilla Firefox before 33.0, Firefox ESR 31.x before 31.2, and Thunderbird 31.x before 31.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write and application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via WebM frames with invalid tile sizes that are improperly handled in buffering operations during video playback.

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

The get_tile function in Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird fails to properly validate tile sizes in WebM video frames during buffering operations, leading to an out-of-bounds write vulnerability. This can be triggered by malicious WebM content during video playback, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or causing application crashes.

MitigationUpgrade to Firefox 33.0, Firefox ESR 31.2, Thunderbird 31.2 or later versions. Alternatively, disable WebM video playback or use click-to-play for plugin content to reduce attack surface.

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:= 31.0= 31.1.0<= 32.0= 30.0
ThunderbirdApplication
Affected:= 31.0= 31.1.0

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
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

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 installed Mozilla product
    Check if Firefox or Thunderbird is installed by looking for the application in the system program files or using the application's Help > About menu
    Affected if The system has Firefox or Thunderbird installed
  2. Determine Firefox version
    In Firefox, open Help > About Firefox to view the exact version number displayed
    Affected if Firefox version is 30.0, 31.0, 31.1.0, or 32.0 or below
  3. Determine Thunderbird version
    In Thunderbird, open Help > About Thunderbird to view the exact version number displayed
    Affected if Thunderbird version is 31.0 or 31.1.0
  4. Verify WebM playback capability
    WebM support is built into Firefox and Thunderbird by default; check if the application can play WebM video files or if the gecko media plugin is present and enabled
    Affected if WebM/video playback is enabled and the application can process WebM content

A user is affected if they have Firefox versions 30.0, 31.0, 31.1.0, or 32.0 and below, or Thunderbird versions 31.0 or 31.1.0, with WebM playback capability enabled.

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 32.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Firefox 33.0, Firefox ESR 31.2, Thunderbird 31.2 or later versions. Alternatively, disable WebM video playback or use click-to-play for plugin content to reduce attack surface.

Fix this in Firefox Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.

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-2014-1578 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