CVE-2016-1979

CVE-2016-1979 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Description

Use-after-free vulnerability in the PK11_ImportDERPrivateKeyInfoAndReturnKey function in Mozilla Network Security Services (NSS) before 3.21.1, as used in Mozilla Firefox before 45.0, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted key data with DER encoding.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-1979?
Use-after-free vulnerability in the PK11_ImportDERPrivateKeyInfoAndReturnKey function in Mozilla Network Security Services (NSS) before 3.21.1, as used in Mozilla Firefox before 45.0, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service or possibly have unspecified other impact via crafted key data with DER encoding.
How severe is CVE-2016-1979?
CVE-2016-1979 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2016-1979 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (80th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-1979?
CVE-2016-1979 primarily affects Mozilla Firefox. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-1979?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2016-1979 published?
CVE-2016-1979 was published on 2016-03-13 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

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