# CVE-2023-5170: Information disclosure in Firefox

> A compromised content process could leak privileged memory, potentially enabling a sandbox escape in Firefox.

- **Severity:** High 7.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **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:** 27 Sep 2023
- **Updated:** 13 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2gw5-9px7-vp56, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-5170

## What is CVE-2023-5170?

CVE-2023-5170 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 27 Sep 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

In canvas rendering, a compromised content process could have caused a surface to change unexpectedly, leading to a memory leak of a privileged process. This memory leak could be used to effect a sandbox escape if the correct data was leaked. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 118.

Weakness: CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-5170?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mozilla Firefox.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-5170?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2023-5170 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-5170 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-2023-5170 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-5170 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox, published on 27 Sep 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: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-5170 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-2023-5170/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5170/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5170
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5170
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-5170

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5170/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.