# CVE-2016-5295: Privilege escalation in Firefox

> Local attackers can escalate privileges by tricking the Mozilla Maintenance Service into executing malicious files via the Updater.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 Jun 2018
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2h24-5rmg-2c3m

## What is CVE-2016-5295?

CVE-2016-5295 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 11 Jun 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

This vulnerability allows an attacker to use the Mozilla Maintenance Service to escalate privilege by having the Maintenance Service invoke the Mozilla Updater to run malicious local files. This vulnerability requires local system access and is a variant of MFSA2013-44. Note: this issue only affects Windows operating systems. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 50.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-5295?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mozilla Firefox.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-5295?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2016-5295 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-5295 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-2016-5295 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-5295 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 11 Jun 2018. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-5295 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-2016-5295/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5295/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-5295
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-5295
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-5295

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-5295/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.