CVE-2019-17018

Private-browsing input disclosure via missing IS_PRIVATE scope

Published Jan 8, 2020 · Updated Aug 5, 2024

Information disclosure in Mozilla Firefox before 72 allows local users to recover private-browsing input through Windows 10 suggestions. Firefox's Win32 widget code failed to set the IS_PRIVATE input scope for private-browsing text fields, so the Windows IME learned entered text and later offered it as corrections or autocomplete suggestions. Exposure requires text entry in Private Browsing on Windows 10 and access to later keyboard suggestions; no integrity or availability impact is reported.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.87%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Information disclosure in Mozilla Firefox before 72 allows local users to recover private-browsing input through Windows 10 suggestions. Firefox's Win32 widget code failed to set the IS_PRIVATE input scope for private-browsing text fields, so the Windows IME learned entered text and later offered it as corrections or autocomplete suggestions. Exposure requires text entry in Private Browsing on Windows 10 and access to later keyboard suggestions; no integrity or availability impact is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2019-17018
Published
Jan 8, 2020
Updated
Aug 5, 2024
Vendor
Mozilla
Product
Firefox
Classifications
CWE-200
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 8, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=before 72

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Mozilla · Firefoxversion=before 72

Published CVSS scores

5.3NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
5.0NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-200Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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