CVE-2021-38498 : Security Advisory and Response

A detailed overview of CVE-2021-38498 affecting Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird, and Firefox ESR.

Understanding CVE-2021-38498

This CVE involves a use-after-free vulnerability in Mozilla products, leading to potential memory corruption and crashes.

What is CVE-2021-38498?

The vulnerability in the languages service object of Firefox < 93, Thunderbird < 91.2, and Firefox ESR < 91.2 could result in memory corruption.

The Impact of CVE-2021-38498

Exploiting this vulnerability could lead to a potentially exploitable crash, impacting the stability and security of affected systems.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-38498

Insights into the vulnerability's description, affected systems, versions, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

During process shutdown, a document may trigger a use-after-free of a languages service object, causing memory corruption.

Affected Systems and Versions

Mozilla Firefox < 93
Mozilla Thunderbird < 91.2
Mozilla Firefox ESR < 91.2

Exploitation Mechanism

The use-after-free of the nsLanguageAtomService object can be triggered during process shutdown, potentially leading to crashes.

Mitigation and Prevention

Guidance on immediate actions to take and long-term security practices to mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2021-38498.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should update Mozilla Firefox, Thunderbird, and Firefox ESR to versions above 93, 91.2, and 91.2 respectively to prevent exploitation.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly updating software, employing security tools, and staying informed about security advisories are essential for maintaining system security.

Patching and Updates

Vendors release security patches to address vulnerabilities, so users must apply updates promptly to protect their systems.