Mozilla Thunderbird up to 102.1 PK11_ChangePW use after free

| CVSS Meta Temp Score | Current Exploit Price (≈) | CTI Interest Score |
|---|---|---|
| 6.7 | $5k-$25k | 0.00 |
Summary
A vulnerability marked as critical has been reported in Mozilla Thunderbird up to 102.1. Affected by this issue is the function PK11_ChangePW. This manipulation causes use after free.
This vulnerability is registered as CVE-2022-38476. Remote exploitation of the attack is possible. No exploit is available.
It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.
Details
A vulnerability was found in Mozilla Thunderbird up to 102.1 (Mail Client Software). It has been declared as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is the function PK11_ChangePW. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:
A data race could occur in the <code>PK11_ChangePW</code> function, potentially leading to a use-after-free vulnerability. In Firefox, this lock protected the data when a user changed their master password. This vulnerability affects Firefox ESR < 102.2 and Thunderbird < 102.2.
The weakness was published 08/23/2022 by Marian Laza as Bug 1760998 as confirmed advisory (Website). It is possible to read the advisory at bugzilla.mozilla.org. The advisory contains:
A data race could occur in the PK11_ChangePW function, potentially leading to a use-after-free vulnerability. In Thunderbird, this lock protected the data when a user changed their master password.This vulnerability is known as CVE-2022-38476. It demands that the victim is doing some kind of user interaction. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $5k-$25k at the moment (estimation calculated on 06/22/2026).
Upgrading to version 102.2 eliminates this vulnerability. A possible mitigation has been published immediately after the disclosure of the vulnerability.
The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at EUVD (EUVD-2022-41059). Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Product
Type
Vendor
Name
Version
License
Website
- Vendor: https://www.mozilla.org/
CPE 2.3
CPE 2.2
CVSSv4
VulDB Vector: 🔍VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv3
VulDB Meta Base Score: 6.9VulDB Meta Temp Score: 6.7
VulDB Base Score: 6.3
VulDB Temp Score: 6.0
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
NVD Base Score: 7.5
NVD Vector: 🔍
CVSSv2
| AV | AC | Au | C | I | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| Vector | Complexity | Authentication | Confidentiality | Integrity | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
Exploiting
Class: Use after freeCWE: CWE-416 / CWE-119
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍
Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes
Availability: 🔍
Status: Not defined
EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍
| 0-Day | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
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| Today | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
Threat Intelligence
Interest: 🔍Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍
Countermeasures
Recommended: UpgradeStatus: 🔍
Reaction Time: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔍
Exposure Time: 🔍
Upgrade: Thunderbird 102.2
Timeline
08/19/2022 🔍08/23/2022 🔍
08/23/2022 🔍
09/29/2022 🔍
06/22/2026 🔍
Sources
Vendor: mozilla.orgAdvisory: Bug 1760998
Researcher: Marian Laza
Status: Confirmed
Confirmation: 🔍
CVE: CVE-2022-38476 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2022-38476
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-209815
EUVD: 🔍
Entry
Created: 09/29/2022 14:58Updated: 06/22/2026 16:37
Changes: 09/29/2022 14:58 (16), 09/29/2022 14:59 (2), 09/29/2022 15:02 (28), 10/25/2022 14:30 (1), 04/16/2025 05:58 (27), 06/22/2026 16:37 (1)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
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