How severe is CVE-2016-9079?

CVE-2016-9079 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2016-9079 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2016-9079 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2023-06-22, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.

What products are affected by CVE-2016-9079?

CVE-2016-9079 primarily affects Mozilla Thunderbird. In total, 22 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2016-9079?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.

Does CVE-2016-9079 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2016-9079 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2016-9900. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2023-06-22).

When was CVE-2016-9079 published?

CVE-2016-9079 was published on 2018-06-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2016-9079

CVE-2016-9079 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Thunderbird with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, confirming it has been exploited in the wild (added 2023-06-22). The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 88% (100th percentile)
Actively exploited: Yes — listed in CISA KEV (added 2023-06-22)
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2016-9900
EU exploitation: Flagged exploited in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (since 2023-06-22)
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Mozilla Thunderbird
Published: 2018-06-11
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

A use-after-free vulnerability in SVG Animation has been discovered. An exploit built on this vulnerability has been discovered in the wild targeting Firefox and Tor Browser users on Windows. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 50.0.2, Firefox ESR < 45.5.1, and Thunderbird < 45.5.1.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2016-9079?: A use-after-free vulnerability in SVG Animation has been discovered. An exploit built on this vulnerability has been discovered in the wild targeting Firefox and Tor Browser users on Windows. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 50.0.2, Firefox ESR < 45.5.1, and Thunderbird < 45.5.1.
How severe is CVE-2016-9079?: CVE-2016-9079 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2016-9079 being actively exploited?: Yes. CVE-2016-9079 is on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added on 2023-06-22, which means active exploitation has been confirmed. It should be prioritised for remediation.
What products are affected by CVE-2016-9079?: CVE-2016-9079 primarily affects Mozilla Thunderbird. In total, 22 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2016-9079?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Because this CVE is known to be actively exploited, treat remediation as urgent — CISA KEV typically sets a short remediation deadline.
Does CVE-2016-9079 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2016-9079 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2016-9900. It is also flagged as exploited in the EUVD (since 2023-06-22).
When was CVE-2016-9079 published?: CVE-2016-9079 was published on 2018-06-11 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (22)

cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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_desktop:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
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_server:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_aus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server_eus:7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:thunderbird:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox:*:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox:*:*:*:*:esr:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:torproject:tor:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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