Cross-session cookie leakage via stale private context
Published Sep 11, 2023 · Updated Dec 18, 2025
Improper state handling in Firefox before 117 and Firefox ESR and Thunderbird before 115.2 allows attackers to leak private-session cookies. HttpBaseChannel::IsBrowsingContextDiscarded uses missing load-group state instead of the global private-browsing state, so a late private-channel response can set cookies after the session ends. Triggering the leak requires a private response to complete after the last private window closes; the retained cookie can then authenticate a new private session.
Summary
What happened
Improper state handling in Firefox before 117 and Firefox ESR and Thunderbird before 115.2 allows attackers to leak private-session cookies. HttpBaseChannel::IsBrowsingContextDiscarded uses missing load-group state instead of the global private-browsing state, so a late private-channel response can set cookies after the session ends. Triggering the leak requires a private response to complete after the last private window closes; the retained cookie can then authenticate a new private session.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-4583
- Published
- Sep 11, 2023
- Updated
- Dec 18, 2025
- Vendor
- Mozilla
- Product
- Firefox
- Classifications
- CWE-754
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 18, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=unspecified <117
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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