# CVE-2023-28161: Security feature bypass in Firefox

> Firefox fails to revoke temporary permissions for file URLs, allowing persistent access to sensitive features like the camera across different local documents.

- **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:** 2 Jun 2023
- **Updated:** 9 Jan 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-q6w2-jc9g-66qv, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-28161

## What is CVE-2023-28161?

CVE-2023-28161 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 2 Jun 2023. 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

If temporary "one-time" permissions, such as the ability to use the Camera, were granted to a document loaded using a file: URL, that permission persisted in that tab for all other documents loaded from a file: URL. This is potentially dangerous if the local files came from different sources, such as in a download directory. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 111.

Weakness: CWE-281 (Improper Preservation of Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-28161?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mozilla Firefox.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-28161?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2023-28161 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-28161 exists.

## 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-2023-28161 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-28161 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 2 Jun 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-28161 exists.

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-2023-28161/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28161/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-28161
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-28161
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-28161

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-28161/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.