CVE-2021-29956: OpenPGP secret keys that were imported using Thunderbird version 78.8.1 up to version 78.10.1 were stored unencrypted on the user's local…
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 17/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.81% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 57.3% of all records.
- 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.
- Fixed version: thunderbird (Alpine:v3.16) 91.3.2-r0; thunderbird (Debian:10) 1:78.11.0-1~deb10u1; thunderbird (Debian:12) 1:78.10.2-1.
- Mentioned 2 times in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).
Low priority for now. Upgrade to thunderbird (Alpine:v3.16) 91.3.2-r0; thunderbird (Debian:10) 1:78.11.0-1~deb10u1; thunderbird (Debian:12) 1:78.10.2-1 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
OpenPGP secret keys that were imported using Thunderbird version 78.8.1 up to version 78.10.1 were stored unencrypted on the user's local disk. The master password protection was inactive for those keys. Version 78.10.2 will restore the protection mechanism for newly imported keys, and will automatically protect keys that had been imported using affected Thunderbird versions. This vulnerability affects Thunderbird < 78.10.2.
- Published
- Jun 24, 2021
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.8% · 57th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-312
Report tools
Action score
17
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 17 / 40 · 4.3 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.8%
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Is your version affected? Check itNoroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| mozilla | thunderbird | cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:thunderbird |
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (mozilla). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Mozilla Thunderbird
- unspecified and later · before 78.10.2affected
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- mozilla thunderbird78.8.1 and later · up to 78.10.1 inclusive
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.16 | thunderbird | from 78.8.1 · before 91.3.2-r0 | 91.3.2-r0 |
| Debian:10 | thunderbird | before 1:78.11.0-1~deb10u1 | 1:78.11.0-1~deb10u1 |
| Debian:12 | thunderbird | before 1:78.10.2-1 | 1:78.10.2-1 |
| Debian:9 | thunderbird | before 1:78.11.0-1~deb9u1 | 1:78.11.0-1~deb9u1 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.3 | MozillaThunderbird | before 78.10.2-8.27.1 | 78.10.2-8.27.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | thunderbird | before 0:78.11.0-1.el7_9 | 0:78.11.0-1.el7_9 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::client | thunderbird-debuginfo | before 0:78.11.0-1.el7_9 | 0:78.11.0-1.el7_9 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | thunderbird | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_4 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_4 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | thunderbird-debuginfo | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_4 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_4 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | thunderbird-debugsource | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_4 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_4 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.1::appstream | thunderbird | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_1 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_1 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.1::appstream | thunderbird-debuginfo | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_1 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_1 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.1::appstream | thunderbird-debugsource | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_1 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_1 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | thunderbird | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_2 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_2 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | thunderbird-debuginfo | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_2 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_2 |
| Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | thunderbird-debugsource | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_2 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_2 |
| Rocky Linux:8 | thunderbird | before 0:78.11.0-1.el8_4 | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_4 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP2 | MozillaThunderbird | before 78.10.2-8.27.1 | 78.10.2-8.27.1 |
Same product
mozilla: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2019-11705A flaw in Thunderbird's implementation of iCal causes a stack buffer overflow in icalrecur_add_bydayrules when processing certain email…42Plan
- CVE-2019-11704A flaw in Thunderbird's implementation of iCal causes a heap buffer overflow in icalmemory_strdup_and_dequote when processing certain email…42Plan
- CVE-2019-11703A flaw in Thunderbird's implementation of iCal causes a heap buffer overflow in parser_get_next_char when processing certain email…42Plan
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2021-29949Jun 24, 2021 · When loading the shared library that provides the OTR protocol implementation, Thunderbird will initially attempt to open it using a…31Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2021-29950Jun 24, 2021 · Thunderbird unprotects a secret OpenPGP key prior to using it for a decryption, signing or key import task.30Monitor
- Later →CVE-2021-29957Jun 24, 2021 · If a MIME encoded email contains an OpenPGP inline signed or encrypted message part, but also contains an additional unprotected part…17Monitor
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 |
|---|---|---|
| alpine:thunderbird | 91.3.2-r0 · Alpine:v3.16 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:thunderbird | 1:78.10.2-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:MozillaThunderbird | 78.10.2-8.27.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.3 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:thunderbird | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_2 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:thunderbird-debuginfo | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_2 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:thunderbird-debugsource | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_2 · Red Hat:rhel_eus:8.2::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| rocky linux:thunderbird | 0:78.11.0-1.el8_4 · Rocky Linux:8 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:MozillaThunderbird | 78.10.2-8.27.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15 SP2 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
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.
No dated events beyond publication.
National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)
Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.
- TR-21-0523 · Jun 28, 2021(Ubuntu Güvenlik Bildirimi Yayınladı)
- TR-21-0452 · Jun 7, 2021(Debian Güvenlik Güncellemesi Yayınladı)
Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.
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
- low · data can be read
- Integrity
- none
- Availability
- none
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- Low
- Integrity impact
- None
- Availability impact
- None
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-312 · Cleartext Storage of Sensitive InformationCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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)
Change log (1)
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.