CVE-2021-43539Network attack vector

Crash via untraced WebAssembly call pointers

Published Dec 8, 2021 · Updated Aug 4, 2024

Use-after-free in Mozilla Firefox before 95, Firefox ESR before 91.4.0, and Thunderbird before 91.4.0 allows remote attackers to cause a crash. Garbage collection during a WebAssembly instance call fails to trace live pointers because their locations are not recorded across the call, leaving freed objects accessible. Triggering requires attacker-controlled WebAssembly content and user interaction; ordinary Thunderbird message reading disables scripting.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability1.62%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Mozilla Firefox before 95, Firefox ESR before 91.4.0, and Thunderbird before 91.4.0 allows remote attackers to cause a crash. Garbage collection during a WebAssembly instance call fails to trace live pointers because their locations are not recorded across the call, leaving freed objects accessible. Triggering requires attacker-controlled WebAssembly content and user interaction; ordinary Thunderbird message reading disables scripting.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-43539
Published
Dec 8, 2021
Updated
Aug 4, 2024
Vendor
Mozilla
Product
Firefox
Classifications
CWE-416, T1203
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 8, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 4, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <95

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Mozilla · Firefoxversion=unspecified <95
Mozilla · Thunderbirdversion=unspecified <91.4.0
Mozilla · Firefox ESRversion=unspecified <91.4.0

Published CVSS scores

6.8NIST NVDAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
8.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1203Exploitation for Client Execution

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo