CVE-2026-16395 in Firefox
Summary
by MITRE • 07/21/2026
Integer overflow in the Audio/Video component. This vulnerability was fixed in Firefox 153.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2026
An integer overflow vulnerability within the audio/video component of software systems represents a critical security weakness that can lead to arbitrary code execution and system compromise. This specific flaw occurs when the application fails to properly validate or handle integer values during audio/video processing operations, allowing malicious actors to manipulate input data to cause buffer overflows or memory corruption. The vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking in the multimedia handling subsystem where integer variables exceed their maximum allowed values, potentially leading to unexpected program behavior. Such issues are particularly dangerous in media processing components due to the complex nature of audio and video codecs that require extensive memory management and data manipulation.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability typically involves scenarios where the application processes user-supplied media files or streams without adequate input sanitization. When integer overflow occurs during buffer allocation, frame size calculations, or sample rate conversions, it can result in memory corruption that attackers can exploit to execute malicious code with the privileges of the affected application. This class of vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as cwe 190 integer overflow/underflow and may map to attack techniques described in the attack tree framework under code injection and privilege escalation categories. The exploitation often requires crafting specifically malformed media files that trigger the overflow condition during normal playback or processing operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios, as successful exploitation can provide attackers with complete system control. In browser environments like firefox where multimedia components are frequently accessed through web content, this vulnerability becomes particularly dangerous since users may unknowingly encounter malicious media files while browsing the internet. The risk assessment indicates that such vulnerabilities can be leveraged for remote code execution attacks, potentially allowing threat actors to install malware, steal sensitive data, or establish persistent access to compromised systems. Organizations must consider both direct exploitation risks and indirect impacts on user trust and system integrity when addressing these types of media processing flaws.
The remediation approach for this specific integer overflow vulnerability requires comprehensive input validation and proper integer handling throughout the audio/video processing pipeline. Software vendors should implement robust bounds checking mechanisms, utilize safe integer arithmetic operations, and employ modern compiler security features such as stack canaries and address space layout randomization. The fix implemented in firefox version 153 demonstrates proper vulnerability management through timely patching and release cycles that address known security weaknesses. Organizations should prioritize updating to patched versions immediately while implementing additional monitoring for suspicious media file processing activities. Security teams must also consider implementing network segmentation and content filtering solutions to prevent exposure to malicious media files, particularly in environments where users may encounter untrusted web content or file attachments.