CVE-2026-113868 — Uninitialized memory disclosure and out-of-bounds read in POP3 and SMTP NTLM authentication
When authenticating to a POP3 or SMTP server using NTLM, Thunderbird did not check whether the server's challenge was valid base64. A malicious server could send a challenge that caused Thunderbird to include uninitialized heap memory in its NTLM response, disclosing that memory to the server. A challenge consisting only of base64 padding also caused an out-of-bounds read, crashing Thunderbird. This affected accounts configured to use NTLM or GSSAPI authentication. The uninitialized memory disclosure only affected NTLM. This vulnerability was fixed in Thunderbird 158.0.1 and Thunderbird 153.5.1.
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
- EPSS 0.4% (30-day exploitation probability)+5
- Technical severity (medium)+3
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.
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.
- Affected products have not been identified by the sources yet: follow the vendor advisory and map candidate assets by component name.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- 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.
Affected products not yet identified by the sources.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.3 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 1.6 | 3.6 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 5.3 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 5.3 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 21, 2026 → Oct 22, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.43%
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.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Source status changed · Received → Awaiting Analysis
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 5.3
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 20, 2026 – Oct 22, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 20, 2026 – Oct 20, 2026
References
7 on the record
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-v77j-vmg8-85hq
- www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2026-115
- www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2026-115/
- www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2026-114/
- www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2026-114
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-113868
- bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi
Elsewhere on this site
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 affected product/version with evidence in the sources.
- 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-2026-113868 is "Uninitialized memory disclosure and out-of-bounds read in POP3 and SMTP NTLM authentication", rated Medium. Affected products have not been identified by the sources yet. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.3 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.43% 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.
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