Thunderbird's handling of the X-Mozilla-External-Attachment-URL header can be exploited to execute JavaScript in the file:/// context. By crafting a nested email attachment (message/rfc822) and setting its content type to application/pdf, Thunderbird may incorrectly render it as HTML when opened, allowing the embedded JavaScript to run without requiring a file download. This behavior relies on Thunderbird auto-saving the attachment to /tmp and linking to it via the file:/// protocol, potentially enabling JavaScript execution as part of the HTML. This vulnerability affects Thunderbird < 128.10.1 and Thunderbird < 138.0.1.
History

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 14:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.8
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_tus:8.8

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Tus
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.4
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.6
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:8.6
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_tus:8.6
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Tus

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Mozilla
Mozilla thunderbird
CPEs cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:thunderbird:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Mozilla
Mozilla thunderbird

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 06:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel Aus
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_aus:8.2
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel Aus

Sat, 31 May 2025 00:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat rhel E4s
Redhat rhel Eus
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_e4s:9.0
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:9.2
cpe:/a:redhat:rhel_eus:9.4
Vendors & Products Redhat rhel E4s
Redhat rhel Eus

Wed, 28 May 2025 14:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:9
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:10.0
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux

Wed, 21 May 2025 03:00:00 +0000


Fri, 16 May 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Title thunderbird: JavaScript Execution via Spoofed PDF Attachment and file:/// Link
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

threat_severity

Important


Thu, 15 May 2025 15:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-290
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 6.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N'}

ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}


Wed, 14 May 2025 17:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Thunderbird's handling of the X-Mozilla-External-Attachment-URL header can be exploited to execute JavaScript in the file:/// context. By crafting a nested email attachment (message/rfc822) and setting its content type to application/pdf, Thunderbird may incorrectly render it as HTML when opened, allowing the embedded JavaScript to run without requiring a file download. This behavior relies on Thunderbird auto-saving the attachment to /tmp and linking to it via the file:/// protocol, potentially enabling JavaScript execution as part of the HTML. This vulnerability affects Thunderbird < 128.10.1 and Thunderbird < 138.0.1.
References

cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: mozilla

Published: 2025-05-14T16:56:43.630Z

Updated: 2025-05-16T03:55:42.982Z

Reserved: 2025-04-23T17:44:42.650Z

Link: CVE-2025-3909

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2025-05-15T14:45:57.239Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2025-05-14T17:15:48.660

Modified: 2025-06-05T14:26:42.720

Link: CVE-2025-3909

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Important

Publid Date: 2025-05-14T16:56:43Z

Links: CVE-2025-3909 - Bugzilla