Private-data recovery via variable-time RSA decryption
Published Mar 19, 2024 · Updated Nov 4, 2025
NSS timing leakage in Firefox before 124, Firefox ESR before 115.9, and Thunderbird before 115.9 allows attackers to recover private data. NSS MPI clamping shortens decrypted integers with zero high-order limbs, so unblinding and byte-string conversion take input-dependent time. Repeated attacker-selected RSA ciphertexts expose a timing oracle that can decrypt one intercepted ciphertext; the attack does not reveal the private key.
Summary
What happened
NSS timing leakage in Firefox before 124, Firefox ESR before 115.9, and Thunderbird before 115.9 allows attackers to recover private data. NSS MPI clamping shortens decrypted integers with zero high-order limbs, so unblinding and byte-string conversion take input-dependent time. Repeated attacker-selected RSA ciphertexts expose a timing oracle that can decrypt one intercepted ciphertext; the attack does not reveal the private key.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-5388
- Published
- Mar 19, 2024
- Updated
- Nov 4, 2025
- Vendor
- Mozilla
- Product
- Firefox
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 19, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Nov 4, 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 <124
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
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
- Marvin timing-test toolkitproof of concept · demonstrated
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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