How severe is CVE-2012-5839?

CVE-2012-5839 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2012-5839 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2012-5839?

CVE-2012-5839 primarily affects Mozilla Firefox. In total, 25 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2012-5839?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2012-5839 published?

CVE-2012-5839 was published on 2012-11-21 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2012-5839

CVE-2012-5839 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3. 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-787.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 9.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 7% (93rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-787
Affected product: Mozilla Firefox
Published: 2012-11-21
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the gfxShapedWord::CompressedGlyph::IsClusterStart function in Mozilla Firefox before 17.0, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.11, Thunderbird before 17.0, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.11, and SeaMonkey before 2.14 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-5839?: Heap-based buffer overflow in the gfxShapedWord::CompressedGlyph::IsClusterStart function in Mozilla Firefox before 17.0, Firefox ESR 10.x before 10.0.11, Thunderbird before 17.0, Thunderbird ESR 10.x before 10.0.11, and SeaMonkey before 2.14 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.
How severe is CVE-2012-5839?: CVE-2012-5839 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2012-5839 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 7% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-5839?: CVE-2012-5839 primarily affects Mozilla Firefox. In total, 25 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2012-5839?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2012-5839 published?: CVE-2012-5839 was published on 2012-11-21 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (25)

cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:seamonkey:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:thunderbird:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:thunderbird_esr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:11.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:12.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:12.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:10:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:11:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:10:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:11:sp2:*:*:*:-:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:11:sp2:*:*:*:vmware:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:10:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_software_development_kit:11:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:10.04:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:11.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:esm:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:6.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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