The PDF reader in Mozilla Firefox before 39.0.3, Firefox ESR 38.x before 38.1.1, and Firefox OS before 2.2 allows remote attackers to bypass
The PDF reader in Mozilla Firefox before 39.0.3, Firefox ESR 38.x before 38.1.1, and Firefox OS before 2.2 allows remote attackers to bypass the Same Origin Policy, and read arbitrary files or gain privileges, via vectors involving crafted JavaScript code and a native setter, as exploited in the wild in August 2015.
Noroxi analysis
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We use this product, ask for help- Published
- Aug 7, 2015
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 68.6% · 99th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-346
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Report tools
Action score
86
Now
Patch today or shut off access.
- CVSS
- 35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 30 / 30 · Listed
- EPSS
- 21 / 30 · 68.6%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- active
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
Actively exploited in the wild
CISA added this to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on May 25, 2022. That signals real attacks, not theory.
Remediation deadline for government agencies: Jun 15, 2022.
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| mozilla | firefox | cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox |
| mozilla | firefox os | cpe:2.3:o:mozilla:firefox_os |
| oracle | solaris | cpe:2.3:o:oracle:solaris |
| canonical | ubuntu linux | cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux |
| redhat | enterprise linux desktop | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop |
| redhat | enterprise linux eus | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus |
| redhat | enterprise linux server | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server |
| redhat | enterprise linux server aus | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus |
| redhat | enterprise linux server tus | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_tus |
| redhat | enterprise linux workstation | cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation |
| suse | linux enterprise debuginfo | cpe:2.3:a:suse:linux_enterprise_debuginfo |
| opensuse | opensuse | cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse |
and 3 more
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- canonical ubuntu linux12.04
- canonical ubuntu linux14.04
- canonical ubuntu linux15.04
- mozilla firefox38.0 and later · before 38.1.1
- mozilla firefoxbefore 39.0.3
- mozilla firefox osbefore 2.2
- opensuse opensuse13.1
- opensuse opensuse13.2
- oracle solaris11.3
- redhat enterprise linux desktop5.0
- redhat enterprise linux desktop6.0
- redhat enterprise linux desktop7.0
- redhat enterprise linux eus6.7
- redhat enterprise linux eus7.1
- redhat enterprise linux eus7.2
- redhat enterprise linux eus7.3
- redhat enterprise linux eus7.4
- redhat enterprise linux eus7.5
- redhat enterprise linux eus7.6
- redhat enterprise linux eus7.7
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | pdf.js | before 1.1.366+dfsg-1 | 1.1.366+dfsg-1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | firefox | before 0:38.1.1-1.el5_11 | 0:38.1.1-1.el5_11 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | firefox-debuginfo | before 0:38.1.1-1.el5_11 | 0:38.1.1-1.el5_11 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | firefox | before 0:38.1.1-1.el6_7 | 0:38.1.1-1.el6_7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | firefox-debuginfo | before 0:38.1.1-1.el6_7 | 0:38.1.1-1.el6_7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | firefox | before 0:38.1.1-1.el7_1 | 0:38.1.1-1.el7_1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | firefox-debuginfo | before 0:38.1.1-1.el7_1 | 0:38.1.1-1.el7_1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 SP3 | MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED | before 31.0-0.12.51 | 31.0-0.12.51 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | mozilla-nss | before 3.19.2.0-26.2 | 3.19.2.0-26.2 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | MozillaFirefox | before 38.2.1esr-45.1 | 38.2.1esr-45.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | MozillaFirefox | before 31.8.0esr-40.1 | 31.8.0esr-40.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | MozillaFirefox-branding-SLE | before 31.0-14.1 | 31.0-14.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP3 | mozilla-nss | before 3.19.2.0-0.16.1 | 3.19.2.0-0.16.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP3 | MozillaFirefox | before 31.8.0esr-0.13.2 | 31.8.0esr-0.13.2 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit 11 SP3 | MozillaFirefox | before 38.2.1esr-19.3 | 38.2.1esr-19.3 |
Same product
mozilla: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2010-3765Mozilla Firefox 3.5.x through 3.5.14 and 3.6.x through 3.6.11, Thunderbird 3.1.6 before 3.1.6 and 3.0.x before 3.0.10, and SeaMonkey 2.x befKEV94Now
- CVE-2019-11708Insufficient vetting of parameters passed with the Prompt:Open IPC message between child and parent processes can result in the non-sandboxeKEV87Now
- CVE-2013-1690Mozilla Firefox before 22.0, Firefox ESR 17.x before 17.0.7, Thunderbird before 17.0.7, and Thunderbird ESR 17.x before 17.0.7 do not properKEV86Now
- CVE-2019-17026Incorrect alias information in IonMonkey JIT compiler for setting array elements could lead to a type confusion.KEV79This week
- CVE-2024-9680An attacker was able to achieve code execution in the content process by exploiting a use-after-free in Animation timelines.KEV76This week
- CVE-2019-11707A type confusion vulnerability can occur when manipulating JavaScript objects due to issues in Array.pop.KEV76This week
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:pdf.js | 1.1.366+dfsg-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:firefox | 0:38.1.1-1.el5_11 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:firefox-debuginfo | 0:38.1.1-1.el5_11 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:mozilla-nss | 3.19.2.0-26.2 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:MozillaFirefox | 31.8.0esr-40.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:MozillaFirefox-branding-SLE | 31.0-14.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:MozillaFirefox-branding-SLED | 31.0-0.12.51 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 SP3 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Metasploit module ×1
- Exploit-DB entry ×1
- Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×1
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exploit-DB entry | local | 2015-08-15 |
| Metasploit module | auxiliary/gather/firefox_pdfjs_file_theftFirefox PDF.js Browser File Theftauxiliary | — |
| Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub | stars:1 | 2015-08-10 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Published
- First PoC+2 d
- CISA KEV+2482 d
- TodaySep 30, 2026+4072 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- A user must open a link or visit a page.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-346 · Origin Validation ErrorCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- JSON Hijacking (aka JavaScript Hijacking)CAPEC-111likelihood: High · High
- Cache PoisoningCAPEC-141likelihood: High · High
- DNS Cache PoisoningCAPEC-142likelihood: High · High
- Exploit Script-Based APIsCAPEC-160Medium
- Exploitation of Trusted IdentifiersCAPEC-21likelihood: High · High
- Application API Message Manipulation via Man-in-the-MiddleCAPEC-384Low
- Transaction or Event Tampering via Application API ManipulationCAPEC-385Medium
- Application API Navigation RemappingCAPEC-386Medium
ATT&CK techniques
- Access Token ManipulationT1134
- Access Token Manipulation:Token Impersonation/TheftT1134.001
- Steal Application Access TokenT1528
- Steal Web Session CookieT1539
- Use Alternate Authentication Material:Web Session CookieT1550.004
- Adversary-in-the-Middle: ARP Cache PoisoningT1557.002
- Compromise Infrastructure: DNS ServerT1584.002
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-08/msg00009.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-08/msg00010.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-08/msg00014.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-08/msg00015.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-08/msg00021.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2015-09/msg00016.html
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2015-1581.html
- www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2015/mfsa2015-78.html
- www.oracle.com/technetwork/topics/security/bulletinapr2016-2952098.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/76249
- www.securitytracker.com/id/1033216
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-2707-1
- blog.mozilla.org/security/2015/08/06/firefox-exploit-found-in-the-wild/
- bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1178058
- bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1179262
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201512-10
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2015-4495
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.