CVE-2022-22736

Local privilege escalation via DLL search-order hijacking

Published Dec 22, 2022 · Updated Apr 16, 2025

Uncontrolled DLL search in Mozilla Firefox before 96 allows local users to gain privileges through a writable Windows install directory. Firefox.exe and mozglue.dll statically depend on system DLLs including version.dll and dbghelp.dll, allowing the Windows loader to search the install directory instead of restricting resolution to the system directory. Exploitation requires a non-default installation whose directory permits the local user to add a malicious DLL; a protected default installation blocks that placement.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Uncontrolled DLL search in Mozilla Firefox before 96 allows local users to gain privileges through a writable Windows install directory. Firefox.exe and mozglue.dll statically depend on system DLLs including version.dll and dbghelp.dll, allowing the Windows loader to search the install directory instead of restricting resolution to the system directory. Exploitation requires a non-default installation whose directory permits the local user to add a malicious DLL; a protected default installation blocks that placement.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-22736
Published
Dec 22, 2022
Updated
Apr 16, 2025
Vendor
Mozilla
Product
Firefox
Classifications
CWE-427, T1574.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 22, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 16, 2025Record 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=unspecified <96

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Mozilla · Firefoxversion=unspecified <96

Published CVSS scores

7.0NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.0CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-427Uncontrolled Search Path Element
T1574.001DLL Search Order Hijacking

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

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Your stack

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