# CVE-2016-9078: Open redirect in Firefox

> Attackers can exploit HTTP redirections to data URLs to violate same-origin policies, allowing cross-origin cookie setting in Firefox.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 Jun 2018
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-97gg-j6v9-fvp7, UBUNTU-CVE-2016-9078

## What is CVE-2016-9078?

CVE-2016-9078 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 11 Jun 2018. 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

Redirection from an HTTP connection to a "data:" URL assigns the referring site's origin to the "data:" URL in some circumstances. This can result in same-origin violations against a domain if it loads resources from malicious sites. Cross-origin setting of cookies has been demonstrated without the ability to read them. Note: This issue only affects Firefox 49 and 50. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 50.0.1.

Weakness: CWE-601 (URL Redirection to Untrusted Site)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2016-9078?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mozilla Firefox.

## How do I fix CVE-2016-9078?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2016-9078 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2016-9078 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-2016-9078 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2016-9078 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 11 Jun 2018. 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-2016-9078 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-2016-9078/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-9078/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2016-9078
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2016-9078
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2016-9078

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-9078/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.