FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla
CVE-2015-7179
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 · uneditedThe VertexBufferInterface::reserveVertexSpace function in libGLES in ANGLE, as used in Mozilla Firefox before 41.0 and Firefox ESR 38.x before 38.3 on Windows, incorrectly allocates memory for shader attribute arrays, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (buffer overflow and application crash) via crafted (1) OpenGL or (2) WebGL content.
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 confidenceA memory allocation flaw in ANGLE's libGLES causes the VertexBufferInterface::reserveVertexSpace function to undersize buffers for shader attribute arrays. When shaders write data to these undersized buffers during OpenGL or WebGL rendering, a buffer overflow occurs, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution or causing application crashes.
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
<= 40.0.3= 38.0= 38.0.1= 38.0.5= 38.1.0= 38.1.1= 38.2.0= 38.2.1CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Firefox installationCheck for Firefox installation by locating firefox.exe in typical installation paths (e.g., C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe) or by querying the system registryAffected if Firefox is not installed on the system
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Determine Firefox versionRun 'firefox.exe -v' from the Firefox installation directory or check the version via Windows Programs and FeaturesAffected if The installed version is 38.0 through 38.2.1, or any version 40.0.3 or lower (including 38.0, 38.0.1, 38.0.5, 38.1.0, 38.1.1, 38.2.0, 38.2.1, and versions up to 40.0.3)
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Confirm operating system is WindowsCheck the OS version using 'systeminfo' or 'winver' command - ANGLE library is specific to Windows platformsAffected if The operating system is Windows and the Firefox version falls within the affected ranges listed above
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Verify ANGLE library usageInspect if WebGL or OpenGL rendering features are actively used - the vulnerability triggers when Firefox renders graphics via ANGLE's libGLESAffected if WebGL content is rendered or OpenGL applications run through Firefox on the affected Windows version
A user is affected if they are running Firefox versions 38.0-38.2.1 or 40.0.3 and below on Windows, particularly when using WebGL or OpenGL rendering features.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpgrade Firefox to version 41.0 or later (or ESR 38.3 or later) on Windows. For applications using ANGLE directly, patch the reserveVertexSpace function to correctly calculate vertex attribute memory requirements before allocation.
Fix this in Firefox
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,992.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-7179 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-7179 in production — separate from our analysis above.
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
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- 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
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