Sandbox escape via freed WebGPU context reuse
Published Dec 22, 2022 · Updated Oct 21, 2025
Use-after-free in affected Mozilla browsers and Thunderbird allows remote attackers to escape the renderer sandbox through malicious content. WebGPUParent::RecvShutdown deletes mContext without nulling the pointer, so a later SendShaderModuleDestroy message dereferences freed memory. Exploitation requires user interaction and a compromised renderer process; success grants code execution in the higher-privileged GPU process.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in affected Mozilla browsers and Thunderbird allows remote attackers to escape the renderer sandbox through malicious content. WebGPUParent::RecvShutdown deletes mContext without nulling the pointer, so a later SendShaderModuleDestroy message dereferences freed memory. Exploitation requires user interaction and a compromised renderer process; success grants code execution in the higher-privileged GPU process.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2022-26486
- Published
- Dec 22, 2022
- Updated
- Oct 21, 2025
- Vendor
- Mozilla
- Product
- Firefox
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068, T1203
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 7, 2022Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities entry
- Dec 22, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 21, 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.
- Affected versionversion=unspecified <97.0.2
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Mozilla Bug 1758070 miniPOCproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Reported exploitation
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities entryknown exploited catalog
- Mozilla reported attacks exploiting the WebGPU flawreported exploitation
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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