How severe is CVE-2008-5502?

CVE-2008-5502 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2008-5502 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-5502?

CVE-2008-5502 primarily affects Mozilla Firefox. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-5502?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2008-5502 published?

CVE-2008-5502 was published on 2008-12-17 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-5502

CVE-2008-5502 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-399.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 5.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (81st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Mozilla Firefox
Published: 2008-12-17
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The layout engine in Mozilla Firefox 3.x before 3.0.5, Thunderbird 2.x before 2.0.0.19, and SeaMonkey 1.x before 1.1.14 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via vectors that trigger memory corruption, related to the GetXMLEntity and FastAppendChar functions.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-5502?: The layout engine in Mozilla Firefox 3.x before 3.0.5, Thunderbird 2.x before 2.0.0.19, and SeaMonkey 1.x before 1.1.14 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via vectors that trigger memory corruption, related to the GetXMLEntity and FastAppendChar functions.
How severe is CVE-2008-5502?: CVE-2008-5502 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2008-5502 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (81st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-5502?: CVE-2008-5502 primarily affects Mozilla Firefox. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-5502?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2008-5502 published?: CVE-2008-5502 was published on 2008-12-17 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:seamonkey:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-399 (Resource Management Errors) vulnerabilities

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CVE-2015-0339 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0335 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2015-0333 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Adobe Flash Player before 13.0.0.277 and 14.x through 17.x before 17.0.0.134 on Windows and OS X and before…
CVE-2014-4121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 does not properly parse internationalized…
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