# CVE-2021-38504: Use after free in Firefox

> A use-after-free in Firefox's file picker allows attackers to cause memory corruption and potentially execute code via a crafted HTML page.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/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:** 8 Dec 2021
- **Updated:** 4 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-38504, GHSA-53f7-m98p-5ggp, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-38504

## What is CVE-2021-38504?

CVE-2021-38504 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 8 Dec 2021. 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

When interacting with an HTML input element's file picker dialog with webkitdirectory set, a use-after-free could have resulted, leading to memory corruption and a potentially exploitable crash. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 94, Thunderbird < 91.3, and Firefox ESR < 91.3.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-38504?

It affects 4 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Firefox Esr, Mozilla Thunderbird.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-38504?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2021-38504 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-38504 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-38504 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-38504 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 8 Dec 2021. 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-2021-38504 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. 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-2021-38504/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38504/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-38504
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38504
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-38504

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-38504/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.