FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla
CVE-2023-28162
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 · uneditedWhile implementing AudioWorklets, some code may have casted one type to another, invalid, dynamic type. This could have led to a potentially exploitable crash. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 111, Firefox ESR < 102.9, and Thunderbird < 102.9.
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 type confusion vulnerability in Firefox's AudioWorklet implementation where code improperly casts one dynamic type to another, potentially causing an exploitable crash. AudioWorklets are used for custom audio processing in the Web Audio API.
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
< 111.0
Firefox EsrWeb browser
< 102.9< 102.9CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed Mozilla product and versionOpen Firefox or Thunderbird, go to Help > About (or navigate to about:support in the URL bar). Record the version number displayed.Affected if Version is below 111.0 for Firefox, below 102.9 for Firefox ESR, or below 102.9 for Thunderbird.
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Confirm product type (regular vs ESR)In about:support, look for the 'Build ID' or 'Version' field. ESR builds typically include 'ESR' in the version string (e.g., '102.8 ESR').Affected if Running Firefox ESR version below 102.9.
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Determine if AudioWorklet is in useInspect running browser processes or check web applications using the Web Audio API. In developer tools (F12), search network requests or scripts for 'AudioWorklet' or 'audioWorklet.addModule()' calls.Affected if Any web page or application loaded in the browser uses AudioWorklet for custom audio processing.
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Check for recent browser crashesReview crash reports in about:crashes or system event logs for crashes occurring during audio playback or Web Audio API operations.Affected if Crashes correlate with AudioWorklet usage on affected versions.
You are affected if you run Firefox below 111.0, Firefox ESR below 102.9, or Thunderbird below 102.9, AND use applications or web pages that utilize the AudioWorklet API.
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.
dbcve · scoped102.9111.0
Update affected software to patched versions: Firefox 111+, Firefox ESR 102.9+, or Thunderbird 102.9+. Organizations should deploy updates via their patch management infrastructure.
Firefox 111.0, Firefox ESR 102.9, or Thunderbird 102.9
- Check current installed version of Firefox, Firefox ESR, or Thunderbird
- Download and install Firefox 111.0, Firefox ESR 102.9, or Thunderbird 102.9 from the official Mozilla website (www.mozilla.org)
- Restart the application after upgrade
- Verify the version has been updated successfully
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Firefox
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-28162 — 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-2023-28162 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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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.
- 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