CVE-2019-9815

CVE-2019-9815 is a high-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox with a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1. 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-203.

Key facts

Description

If hyperthreading is not disabled, a timing attack vulnerability exists, similar to previous Spectre attacks. Apple has shipped macOS 10.14.5 with an option to disable hyperthreading in applications running untrusted code in a thread through a new sysctl. Firefox now makes use of it on the main thread and any worker threads. *Note: users need to update to macOS 10.14.5 in order to take advantage of this change.*. This vulnerability affects Thunderbird < 60.7, Firefox < 67, and Firefox ESR < 60.7.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-9815?
If hyperthreading is not disabled, a timing attack vulnerability exists, similar to previous Spectre attacks. Apple has shipped macOS 10.14.5 with an option to disable hyperthreading in applications running untrusted code in a thread through a new sysctl. Firefox now makes use of it on the main thread and any worker threads. *Note: users need to update to macOS 10.14.5 in order to take advantage of this change.*. This vulnerability affects Thunderbird < 60.7, Firefox < 67, and Firefox ESR < 60.7.
How severe is CVE-2019-9815?
CVE-2019-9815 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 8.1, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-9815 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (76th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-9815?
CVE-2019-9815 primarily affects Mozilla Firefox. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-9815?
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-2019-9815 published?
CVE-2019-9815 was published on 2019-07-23 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

More vulnerabilities in Mozilla Firefox

All CVEs affecting Mozilla Firefox →

Other CWE-203 (Observable Discrepancy) vulnerabilities

Browse all CWE-203 (Observable Discrepancy) vulnerabilities →