CVE-2013-1690 — Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird Denial-of-Service Vulnerability
Mozilla 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 properly handle onreadystatechange events in conjunction with page reloading, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted web site that triggers an attempt to execute data at an unmapped memory location.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Public exploit/PoC (metasploit, exploitdb)+20
- EPSS 69% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
CISA required action CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal deadline: Apr 18, 2022 — passed 1641 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Mozilla Firefox…).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
- EPSS ahead of 99% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canonical | Ubuntu Linux | version 12.04version 12.10version 13.04 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Debian | Debian Linux | version 7.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Mozilla | Firefox | < 22.0≥ 17.0 and < 17.0.7 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Mozilla | Thunderbird | < 17.0.7 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Mozilla | Thunderbird Esr | ≥ 17.0 and < 17.0.7 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Opensuse | Opensuse | version 12.3version 12.2version 11.4 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Enterprise Linux Desktop | version 5.0version 6.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Enterprise Linux Eus | version 6.4version 5.9 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Enterprise Linux Server | version 6.0version 5.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Enterprise Linux Server Aus | version 6.4version 5.9 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Enterprise Linux Workstation | version 6.0version 5.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Red Hat | Gluster Storage Server For On-premise | version 2.0 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| SUSE | Linux Enterprise Desktop | version 11-sp3version 11-sp2version 10-sp4 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| SUSE | Linux Enterprise Server | version 11-sp3version 11-sp2version 11-sp1version 10-sp4 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| SUSE | Linux Enterprise Software Development Kit | version 11-sp3version 10-sp4 | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 2.8 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 8.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 9.3 | CVSS 2.0 | High | 8.6 | 10.0 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
CWE-119 · Buffer Errors (Improper Restriction of Operations within Memory Bounds)
CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- Firefox onreadystatechange Event DocumentViewerImpl Use After Free normal Jun 25, 2013
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 69.02%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Mar 28, 2022 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Affected products added · mozilla/firefox, mozilla/thunderbird, mozilla/thunderbird esr, canonical/ubuntu linux, debian/debian linux, redhat/glust
- CVSS changed · 8.8
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2022
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2013
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
20 on the record
- www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2013/mfsa2013-53.html
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2013-1690
- www.debian.org/security/2013/dsa-2720
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2013-07/msg00005.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2013-07/msg00003.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2013-07/msg00011.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2013-07/msg00010.html
- oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A16996
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2013-07/msg00006.html
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2013-07/msg00004.html
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/60778
- www.debian.org/security/2013/dsa-2716
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-1890-1
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-m5w3-m6g8-4mhf
- bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0982.html
- www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-1891-1
- rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2013-0981.html
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-106016 Mitigation bypass in the File Handling component 9d
- Medium CVE-2026-103500 Heap buffer overflow opening large email 15d
- Critical CVE-2026-100829 Mitigation bypass in the DOM: Security component 16d
- Critical CVE-2026-100828 Mitigation bypass in the Bookmarks & History component 16d
- High CVE-2026-100830 Mitigation bypass in the DOM: Navigation component 16d
- High CVE-2026-100831 Use-after-free in the DOM: UI Events & Focus Handling component 16d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2013-1690 is "Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird Denial-of-Service Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Ubuntu Linux (Canonical); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 8.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 69.02% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.