Uncontrolled search path in Mozilla Firefox
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-427.
Summary
If Firefox is installed to a user-writable directory, the Mozilla Maintenance Service would execute updater.exe from the install location with system privileges. Although the Mozilla Maintenance Service does ensure that updater.exe is signed by Mozilla, the version could have been rolled back to a previous version which would have allowed exploitation of an older bug and arbitrary code execution with System Privileges. *Note: This issue only affected Windows operating systems. Other operating systems are unaffected.*. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 80, Thunderbird < 78.2, Thunderbird < 68.12, Firefox ESR < 68.12, and Firefox ESR < 78.2.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozilla | Firefox | before 80 | 80 | Patch available | CNA |
| Mozilla | Thunderbird | before 78.2; before 68.12 | 78.2, 68.12 | Patch available | CNA |
| Mozilla | Firefox ESR | before 68.12; before 78.2 | 68.12, 78.2 | Patch available | CNA |
- Firefox VendorMozilla Affected before 80 Fixed in 80 Patch available CNA
- Thunderbird VendorMozilla Affected before 78.2; before 68.12 Fixed in 78.2, 68.12 Patch available CNA
- Firefox ESR VendorMozilla Affected before 68.12; before 78.2 Fixed in 68.12, 78.2 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 3
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 80.0; 78.0 to before 78.2 | Vulnerable | Mozilla |
| cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox_esr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 68.0 to before 68.12 | Vulnerable | Mozilla |
| cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:thunderbird:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 68.0 to before 68.12; 78.0 to before 78.2 | Vulnerable | Mozilla |
- cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 80.0; 78.0 to before 78.2 Vulnerable ·Mozilla
- cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox_esr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 68.0 to before 68.12 Vulnerable ·Mozilla
- cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:thunderbird:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 68.0 to before 68.12; 78.0 to before 78.2 Vulnerable ·Mozilla
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Firefox (Mozilla) Fixed in 80
- Fix · CNA Thunderbird (Mozilla) Fixed in 78.2, 68.12
- Fix · CNA Firefox ESR (Mozilla) Fixed in 68.12, 78.2
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Mozilla Firefox 80
7 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 3 MEDIUM, 4 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2020-12342 Out-of-bounds write in Mozilla FirefoxPriority MEDIUM 41
- TI-2020-12345 Race condition in Mozilla FirefoxPriority MEDIUM 40
- TI-2020-12339 Incorrect authorization in Mozilla FirefoxPriority LOW 32
- Release ·
Mozilla Firefox ESR, Thunderbird 68.12, 78.2
2 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 1 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2020-12339 Incorrect authorization in Mozilla FirefoxPriority LOW 32
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2020-15663
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-fj34-jgxp-cv4f
References
Advisory 6
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2020-41/
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2020-36/
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2020-38/
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2020-40/
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2020-37/
- https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1643199
More Mozilla Firefox vulnerabilities
- TI-2024-08981 Use after free in Mozilla Firefox KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2022-09832 Use after free in Mozilla Firefox KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.6
- TI-2019-08769 Improper input validation in Mozilla Firefox ESR KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2010-03577 Mozilla Firefox 3.5.x through 3.5.14 and 3.6.x through 3.6.11, Thunderbird 3.1.6 before… KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2023-04799 Out-of-bounds write in Google Chrome KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2023-04477 Out-of-bounds write in Google Chrome KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
Sources
- CVE-2020-15663 · CVE Program
- CVE-2020-15663 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-fj34-jgxp-cv4f · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2020-15663 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences