Description
A use-after-free vulnerability in SVG Animation has been discovered. An exploit built on this vulnerability has been discovered in the wild targeting Firefox and Tor Browser users on Windows. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 50.0.2, Firefox ESR < 45.5.1, and Thunderbird < 45.5.1.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mozilla | Firefox | unspecified – < 50.0.2 | 50.0.2 |
| Mozilla | Firefox ESR | unspecified – < 45.5.1 | 45.5.1 |
| Mozilla | Thunderbird | unspecified – < 45.5.1 | 45.5.1 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | firefox-esr | 45.5.1esr-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | firefox-esr | 45.5.1esr-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | firefox-esr | 45.5.1esr-1 | — |
| Debian 8 | firefox-esr | 45.5.1esr-1~deb8u1 | DSA-3728-1 |
| Debian 8 | icedove | 1:45.5.1-1~deb8u1 | DSA-3730-1 |
| Debian 7 | firefox-esr | 45.5.1esr-1~deb7u1 | DLA-730-1 |
| Debian 7 | icedove | 1:45.5.1-1~deb7u1 | DLA-752-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | firefox | 50.0.2+build1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 | USN-3140-1 |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | thunderbird | 1:45.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1 | USN-3141-1 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | firefox | 50.0.2+build1-0ubuntu0.14.04.1 | USN-3140-1 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | thunderbird | 1:45.5.1+build1-0ubuntu0.14.04.1 | USN-3141-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | firefox +1 | 45.5.1-1.el7_3 | RHSA-2016:2850, RHSA-2016:2843 |
| RHEL 6 | firefox +1 | 45.5.1-1.el6_8 | RHSA-2016:2850, RHSA-2016:2843 |
| RHEL 5 | firefox +1 | 45.5.1-1.el5_11 | RHSA-2016:2850, RHSA-2016:2843 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Rhel Productivity 5 | thunderbird | 45.5.1-1.el5_11 | RHSA-2016:2850 |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 12 SP2 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-93.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3048-1 |
| SLES 12 SP1 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-93.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3048-1 |
| SLES 12 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-93.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3048-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-59.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SLES 11 SP4 | mozilla-nss | 3.21.3-39.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SLES 11 SP3 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-59.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SLES 11 SP3 | mozilla-nss | 3.21.3-39.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
Show 10 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SLES 11 SP2 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-63.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3105-1 |
| SLES 11 SP2 | mozilla-nss | 3.21.3-30.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3105-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP2 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-93.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3048-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 SP1 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-93.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3048-1 |
| SLES for SAP 12 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-93.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3048-1 |
| SLES for SAP 11 SP4 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-59.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SLES for SAP 11 SP4 | mozilla-nss | 3.21.3-39.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SUSE Package Hub 12 | MozillaThunderbird | 45.5.1-17.1 | openSUSE-SU-2016:3019-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 5 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-59.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SUSE OpenStack Cloud 5 | mozilla-nss | 3.21.3-39.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 2.1 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-59.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SUSE Manager Proxy 2.1 | mozilla-nss | 3.21.3-39.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SUSE Manager 2.1 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-59.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SUSE Manager 2.1 | mozilla-nss | 3.21.3-39.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3 | MozillaFirefox | 45.5.1esr-59.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
| SUSE Linux Enterprise Point of Sale 11 SP3 | mozilla-nss | 3.21.3-39.1 | SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | MozillaFirefox | 50.1.0-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10071-1 |
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | MozillaThunderbird | 45.5.1-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10230-1 |
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | firefox-esr | 128.5.1-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2024:14572-1 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Metasploit 1 module
-
Firefox nsSMILTimeContainer::NotifyTimeChange() RCE
exploit/windows/browser/firefox_smil_uaf
Exploit-DB 2
- Firefox 50.0.1 - ASM.JS JIT-Spray Remote Code Execution EDB-42327 · remote · Jul 14, 2017
- Mozilla Firefox < 50.0.2 - 'nsSMILTimeContainer::NotifyTimeChange()' Remote Code Execution (Metasploit) EDB-41151 · remote · Jan 24, 2017 · verified
GitHub 4 repositories
-
dangokyo/CVE-2016-9079 ★ 7 · Jul 29, 2018
A demo exploit of CVE-2016-9079 on Ubuntu x64
-
Tau-hub/Firefox-CVE-2016-9079 ★ 1 · Oct 8, 2021
-
soham23/firefox-rce-nssmil ★ 1 · Aug 6, 2020
Educational standalone JavaScript implementation of the public exploit for CVE-2016-9079 (Firefox Use-After-Free), adapted from the original Exploit-DB/Metasploit module.
-
LakshmiDesai/CVE-2016-9079 ★ 1 · Feb 8, 2017
CVE-2016-9079 exploit code as it appeared on https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-talk/2016-November/042639.html
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 15
- RHSA-2016:2850 Red Hat Security Advisory: thunderbird security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- RHSA-2016:2843 Red Hat Security Advisory: firefox security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- USN-3140-1 firefox vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 22, 2026
- USN-3141-1 thunderbird vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Apr 22, 2026
- DLA-752-1 icedove - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DSA-3728-1 firefox-esr - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-730-1 firefox-esr - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DSA-3730-1 icedove - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2016:3019-1 Security update for MozillaThunderbird SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10230-1 MozillaThunderbird-45.5.1-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2016:3080-1 Security update for MozillaFirefox, mozilla-nss SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2016:3105-1 Security update for MozillaFirefox, mozilla-nss SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:14572-1 firefox-esr-128.5.1-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- SUSE-SU-2016:3048-1 Security update for MozillaFirefox SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10071-1 MozillaFirefox-50.1.0-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · May 7, 2025
References
- DSA-3730 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2016:2843 vendor-advisory
- GLSA-201701-35 vendor-advisory
- 1037370 vdb-entry
- 42327 exploit
- RHSA-2016:2850 vendor-advisory
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2016-92/
- 94591 vdb-entry
- GLSA-201701-15 vendor-advisory
- 41151 exploit
- https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1321066