CVE-2016-9079
Confirmed PUBLISHEDA use-after-free vulnerability in SVG Animation has been discovered. An exploit built on this vulnerability has been discovered in the wild...
Recommended Action
Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
At a Glance
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.
- CVE Published
- Jun 11, 2018
- Exploitation Reported
- Jun 22, 2023
- CVSS
- 7.5 High
- EPSS
- —
Affected Versions
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mozilla |
Firefox
|
unspecified to < 50.0.2 |
Affected |
| Mozilla |
Firefox ESR
|
unspecified to < 45.5.1 |
Affected |
| Mozilla |
Thunderbird
|
unspecified to < 45.5.1 |
Affected |
CVE References
- DSA-3730 debian.org · Vendor Advisory https://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3730
- RHSA-2016:2843 rhn.redhat.com · Vendor Advisory http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2843.html
- GLSA-201701-35 security.gentoo.org · Vendor Advisory https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-35
- RHSA-2016:2850 rhn.redhat.com · Vendor Advisory http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2850.html
- GLSA-201701-15 security.gentoo.org · Vendor Advisory https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201701-15
Show 6 more references
- 42327 exploit-db.com · Exploit https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/42327/
- 41151 exploit-db.com · Exploit https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/41151/
- 1037370 securitytracker.com · VDB Entry http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1037370
- 94591 securityfocus.com · VDB Entry http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94591
- mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2016-92 mozilla.org · CVE Record https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2016-92/
- bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi bugzilla.mozilla.org · CVE Record https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1321066
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.
- Check enrichment artifacts for scanner coverage and available PoCs before rolling remediation validation.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| CISA First | 2023-06-22 00:00 UTC |
Scanner Artifacts
Nuclei and Metasploit references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/browser/firefox_smil_uaf.rb | Apr 28, 2025 |
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2023-06-22 00:00:00 UTC · CISA
Proof of concept available
Recorded 2017-02-08 07:41:37 UTC · GitHub
Weaknesses (CWE)
-
Use After Free
Scanner Integrations
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit | https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/browser/firefox_smil_uaf.rb | Apr 28, 2025 |
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
github · Created 2021-10-08 21:44:13 UTC · 1 stars
github · Created 2018-07-29 12:55:27 UTC · 7 stars
A demo exploit of CVE-2016-9079 on Ubuntu x64
github · Created 2017-02-08 07:41:37 UTC · 1 stars
CVE-2016-9079 exploit code as it appeared on https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-talk/2016-November/042639.html
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
15:02 UTC about 1 year ago15:02 UTC · about 1 year ago
Metasploit module available
Exploit module available
-
00:00 UTC about 3 years ago00:00 UTC · about 3 years ago
Added to CISA KEV
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
-
21:00 UTC about 8 years ago21:00 UTC · about 8 years ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
07:41 UTC over 9 years ago07:41 UTC · over 9 years ago
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
00:00 UTC over 9 years ago00:00 UTC · over 9 years ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2016-9079
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2016-9079",
"title": "A use-after-free vulnerability in SVG Animation has been discovered. An explo...",
"affected_vendor": "Mozilla",
"affected_product": "Firefox, Firefox ESR, Thunderbird",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 7.5,
"epss_score": null,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": false
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}