# CVE-2012-0454: Use after free in n/a

> Remote attackers can cause application crashes or execute arbitrary code via a use-after-free flaw in the file-open dialog on 32-bit Windows.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 Mar 2012
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xr5r-9hg9-ww9w

## What is CVE-2012-0454?

CVE-2012-0454 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 14 Mar 2012. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Use-after-free vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox 4.x through 10.0, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.3, Thunderbird 5.0 through 10.0, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.3, and SeaMonkey before 2.8 on 32-bit Windows 7 platforms allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via vectors involving use of the file-open dialog in a child window, related to the IUnknown_QueryService function in the Windows shlwapi.dll library.

Weakness: CWE-399

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-0454?

It affects 5 products.


Products: Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Firefox Esr, Mozilla Seamonkey, Mozilla Thunderbird, Mozilla Thunderbird Esr.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-0454?

No fix has been published for CVE-2012-0454 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2012-0454 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-0454 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Mozilla Firefox

- [CVE-2019-11708](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11708/): Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird Sandbox Escape (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2010-3765](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3765/): Mozilla Multiple Products Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-26486](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-26486/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-26485](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-26485/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-11707](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-11707/): Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird Type Confusion (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-0454 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-0454 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 14 Mar 2012. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-0454 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Mozilla Firefox. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-0454/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-0454/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-0454
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-0454
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-0454

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-0454/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.