CVE-2022-26385 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 98. This vulnerability allows for a use-after-free condition that can lead to a crash, which may be exploitable under certain circumstances. The issue arises when an individual thread outlives its manager during the shutdown process, resulting in potential instability and security risks. Organizations using affected versions of Firefox should prioritize updating to version 98 or later to mitigate these risks.
The CVSS score for this vulnerability is 6.5, indicating a medium severity level. The vulnerability is characterized by a network attack vector with low complexity and requires user interaction to exploit. The potential impact of this vulnerability is high in terms of availability, but there is no confidentiality or integrity impact.
Risk to organizations includes system crashes that could disrupt services or expose systems to further issues if left unaddressed. Therefore, organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle to enhance their security posture against potential exploit attempts.
As of now, there are no known public exploits or proof-of-concept (PoC) code for this vulnerability. However, the potential for exploitation exists given the nature of the use-after-free condition.
Organizations should prioritize patching immediately.
Vulnerability Details
The official description of this vulnerability states that in unusual circumstances, an individual thread may outlive the thread's manager during shutdown. This could have led to a use-after-free causing a potentially exploitable crash. This vulnerability affects Firefox versions less than 98.
The vulnerability is classified under CWE-416, which is a common weakness associated with use-after-free vulnerabilities. The CVSS 3.1 score is 6.5, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based, the attack complexity is low, and no privileges are required to exploit it, although user interaction is necessary.
This vulnerability was published on December 22, 2022, and the last modification was made on April 15, 2025. Organizations using affected versions of Firefox should take immediate action to upgrade their systems.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of CVE-2022-26385 lies in the improper management of threads during the shutdown process in Mozilla Firefox. Specifically, an individual thread may continue to operate even after its manager has been terminated, leading to a use-after-free condition. This can occur due to race conditions that arise when multiple threads are involved in the shutdown sequence.
The attack vector for this vulnerability is classified as network-based, meaning an attacker could exploit it remotely. The complexity for an attacker to exploit this vulnerability is low, and it requires no special privileges, although user interaction is necessary to trigger the flaw.
The impact on availability is high, as the exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to crashes or unresponsive states within the Firefox browser. There is no impact on confidentiality or integrity.
Risk & Impact Analysis
The real-world risk associated with CVE-2022-26385 is significant for organizations that rely on Mozilla Firefox for their operations. Given the nature of the vulnerability, the potential for service disruption is considerable. Attackers may leverage this vulnerability to crash the browser, resulting in loss of productivity and potential data loss.
The blast radius could extend to any user of the affected Firefox version, particularly in environments where multiple users are engaged in activities that require continuous browser availability. Organizations should assess the urgency of addressing this vulnerability based on the CVSS score and prioritize patching in their systems.
Since this vulnerability is not currently part of the KEV catalog, it is not actively exploited in the wild. However, the potential for future exploitation remains, underscoring the need for timely remediation.
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | No |
Public PoC | No |
Actively Exploited | No |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected version for this vulnerability is Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 98. Organizations should ensure that they are running version 98 or later to avoid potential exploitation of this vulnerability.
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should update their Firefox installations to version 98 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. In the absence of a patch, consider implementing workarounds such as restricting access to the Firefox browser in sensitive environments until an update can be applied.
Additional measures include configuration hardening and implementing network controls to restrict unauthorized access. Continuous monitoring of the environment for any abnormal behavior associated with Firefox usage is also recommended.
For more details on security testing, organizations can refer to our penetration testing services to validate the security posture of their applications.
Detection Guidance
To effectively detect potential exploitation attempts of this vulnerability, organizations should monitor their systems for unusual crashes or application behavior associated with Firefox.
Log indicators should include application shutdown events and errors related to thread management. Behavioral anomalies during browsing sessions should also be tracked, particularly if they correlate with user interactions.
Network signatures related to abnormal traffic patterns involving Firefox should be analyzed for potential signs of exploitation.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
CVE-2022-26385 represents a significant vulnerability within Mozilla Firefox that could lead to system instability and potential security breaches. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust thread management in application development and the need for continuous monitoring.
As organizations increasingly rely on browser-based applications, understanding and mitigating vulnerabilities like this one is crucial. Security teams should prioritize awareness and training on the implications of use-after-free vulnerabilities.
For further insights on security practices, organizations can explore our penetration testing methodology to strengthen their security frameworks.
In addition, awareness of the latest trends in vulnerability management can be enhanced by reviewing our vulnerability management program design insights.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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