CVE-2022-29916 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

Firefox behaved slightly differently for already known resources when loading CSS resources involving CSS variables. This could have been used to probe the browser history. This vulnerability affects Thunderbird < 91.9, Firefox ESR < 91.9, and Firefox < 100.

Understanding CVE-2022-29916

This section provides an insight into the details of CVE-2022-29916.

What is CVE-2022-29916?

The vulnerability in Firefox allowed probing browser history by behaving differently for known resources when loading CSS files with CSS variables.

The Impact of CVE-2022-29916

The impact includes a potential threat to user privacy due to the leakage of browser history, affecting Thunderbird < 91.9, Firefox ESR < 91.9, and Firefox < 100.

Technical Details of CVE-2022-29916

Let's delve into the technical aspects of CVE-2022-29916.

Vulnerability Description

Firefox's behavior with CSS resources and variables allowed for history probing, raising significant privacy concerns.

Affected Systems and Versions

Mozilla Thunderbird versions < 91.9, Firefox ESR versions < 91.9, and Firefox versions < 100 are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

The exploitation involved manipulating CSS resources to reveal browser history, posing a risk to user privacy.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the measures to address CVE-2022-29916 effectively.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users are advised to update Thunderbird, Firefox ESR, and Firefox to versions 91.9 and 100 or higher to mitigate the vulnerability.

Long-Term Security Practices

Maintain browser security by regularly updating to the latest versions, employing secure browsing practices, and being cautious of resource loading behaviors.

Patching and Updates

Stay protected by promptly installing security patches and updates released by Mozilla to address CVE-2022-29916.