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FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2022-38473

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-12-22
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 91.13 / 102.2 or later.
See remediation →
95/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges

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
A cross-origin iframe referencing an XSLT document would inherit the parent domain's permissions (such as microphone or camera access). This vulnerability affects Thunderbird < 102.2, Thunderbird < 91.13, Firefox ESR < 91.13, Firefox ESR < 102.2, and Firefox < 104.

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

A cross-origin iframe referencing an XSLT document incorrectly inherits the parent domain's permissions, including sensitive device access such as microphone or camera, allowing potential unauthorized access to these resources.

MitigationUpdate affected products to patched versions: Firefox 104+, Firefox ESR 91.13+ or 102.2+, Thunderbird 91.13+ or 102.2+. This is a browser-side vulnerability requiring software updates.

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:< 104.0>= 102.0, < 102.2
Firefox EsrWeb browser
Affected:< 91.13
ThunderbirdApplication
Affected:< 91.13>= 102.0, < 102.2

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
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 browser or email client
    Check if Firefox or Thunderbird is installed on the system. On Linux, run 'which firefox thunderbird' or check /usr/bin/. On Windows, check Program Files. On macOS, check /Applications.
    Affected if Either Firefox or Thunderbird is present on the system
  2. Determine Firefox version
    In Firefox, navigate to Menu > Help > About Firefox, or enter 'about:support' in the address bar. From command line, run 'firefox --version' or check the application bundle.
    Affected if Firefox version is < 104.0, OR >= 102.0 and < 102.2 (note: versions < 102.0 are also affected if they are < 91.13)
  3. Determine Firefox ESR version
    In Firefox ESR, navigate to Menu > Help > About Firefox ESR. From command line, run 'firefox --version' and note if it is ESR release.
    Affected if Firefox ESR version is < 91.13, OR >= 102.0 and < 102.2
  4. Determine Thunderbird version
    In Thunderbird, navigate to Menu > Help > About Thunderbird. From command line, run 'thunderbird --version'.
    Affected if Thunderbird version is < 91.13, OR >= 102.0 and < 102.2
  5. Verify specific exploitation context if vulnerable
    Review web applications or content loaded in the browser for use of cross-origin iframes referencing XSLT documents that may attempt to access media devices (microphone/camera). Check browser console for permission requests.
    Affected if Cross-origin iframes loading XSLT content and requesting device permissions are present in any browsing sessions

If Firefox, Firefox ESR, or Thunderbird is installed with any version falling within 91.13 or 102.0-102.2 range, the environment is affected, especially if cross-origin XSLT iframes with device access are used.

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 91.13 / 102.2 / 104.0 or later
Fixed in 91.13102.2104.0
Interim mitigation

Update affected products to patched versions: Firefox 104+, Firefox ESR 91.13+ or 102.2+, Thunderbird 91.13+ or 102.2+. This is a browser-side vulnerability requiring software updates.

Recommended fix High confidence

Firefox 104.0; Firefox ESR 91.13 or 102.2; Thunderbird 91.13 or 102.2

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed Firefox, Firefox ESR, or Thunderbird version via Help > About (or 'mozilla -version' command line)
  2. 2. For Firefox users: Upgrade to Firefox 104.0 or later
  3. 3. For Firefox ESR users: Upgrade to Firefox ESR 91.13 or later, or Firefox ESR 102.2 or later
  4. 4. For Thunderbird users: Upgrade to Thunderbird 91.13 or later, or Thunderbird 102.2 or later
  5. 5. Restart the application after upgrading
  6. 6. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds the fixed release
Caveat Major version upgrades may introduce UI changes; ESR releases recommended for organizations needing stability

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

Fix this in Firefox Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

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-2022-38473 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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