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FirefoxWeb browser · Mozilla

CVE-2023-29541

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-06-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 102.10 / 112.0 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
Firefox did not properly handle downloads of files ending in <code>.desktop</code>, which can be interpreted to run attacker-controlled commands. <br>*This bug only affects Firefox for Linux on certain Distributions. Other operating systems are unaffected, and Mozilla is unable to enumerate all affected Linux Distributions.*. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 112, Focus for Android < 112, Firefox ESR < 102.10, Firefox for Android < 112, and Thunderbird < 102.10.

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

Firefox's download handler improperly processes .desktop files on Linux, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands through crafted files. When a user downloads a malicious .desktop file, the file can be interpreted to run attacker-controlled commands due to improper handling. This vulnerability only affects Firefox on Linux distributions.

MitigationUpgrade Firefox to version 112+, Firefox ESR to 102.10+, Firefox for Android to 112+, Focus for Android to 112+, or Thunderbird to 102.10+ to receive the patch. Organizations should inventory Linux systems running affected Firefox versions.

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:< 112.0
Firefox EsrWeb browser
Affected:< 102.10
Firefox MobileWeb browser
Affected:< 112.0
FocusApplication
Affected:< 112.0
ThunderbirdApplication
Affected:< 102.10

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. Confirm Linux operating system
    Run 'uname -a' or check '/etc/os-release' to verify the OS is a Linux distribution. This vulnerability only affects Firefox on Linux.
    Affected if The system is running Linux and a Mozilla product listed below is installed.
  2. Identify installed Mozilla product
    Check for Firefox, Firefox ESR, Focus, or Thunderbird. Common install locations: /usr/bin/firefox, /usr/bin/thunderbird, or check your package manager (dpkg -l | grep -i firefox, rpm -qa | grep -i firefox).
    Affected if Any of these Mozilla products are installed on the Linux system.
  3. Get Firefox version
    Run 'firefox --version' or open Firefox, go to Help > About Firefox. For ESR, the version string includes 'ESR' (e.g., '102.9.x ESR').
    Affected if Version is less than 112.0 for Firefox/Focus, or less than 102.10 for Firefox ESR/Thunderbird.
  4. Get Thunderbird version if installed
    Run 'thunderbird --version' or open Thunderbird, go to Help > About Thunderbird.
    Affected if Version is less than 102.10.
  5. Verify .desktop file download behavior
    This vulnerability triggers when downloading .desktop files. Check browser download directory and review any recently downloaded .desktop files for unexpected command parameters (entries starting with 'Exec=').
    Affected if Affected Firefox version is installed and user has downloaded or intends to download .desktop files on Linux.

If the system runs Linux and has Firefox, Firefox ESR, Focus, or Thunderbird with a version below 112.0 (or 102.10 for ESR/Thunderbird), the environment is affected by this vulnerability.

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 102.10 / 112.0 or later
Fixed in 102.10112.0
Interim mitigation

Upgrade Firefox to version 112+, Firefox ESR to 102.10+, Firefox for Android to 112+, Focus for Android to 112+, or Thunderbird to 102.10+ to receive the patch. Organizations should inventory Linux systems running affected Firefox versions.

Recommended fix High confidence

Firefox 112.0, Firefox ESR 102.10, Focus 112.0, Thunderbird 102.10

  1. Upgrade Firefox to version 112.0 or later
  2. Upgrade Firefox ESR to version 102.10 or later
  3. Upgrade Focus for Android to version 112.0 or later
  4. Upgrade Thunderbird to version 102.10 or later
Caveat Standard browser upgrade considerations apply; ensure compatible extensions/themes

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

Fix this in Firefox Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
38.0 hours of engineering $6,560
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $10,496.

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-2023-29541 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