How severe is CVE-2021-38503?

CVE-2021-38503 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-38503 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-38503?

CVE-2021-38503 primarily affects Mozilla Firefox. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-38503?

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-2021-38503 published?

CVE-2021-38503 was published on 2021-12-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-38503

CVE-2021-38503 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox with a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0. 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-863.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 10.0)
CVSS v2: 7.5
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-863
Affected product: Mozilla Firefox
Published: 2021-12-08
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The iframe sandbox rules were not correctly applied to XSLT stylesheets, allowing an iframe to bypass restrictions such as executing scripts or navigating the top-level frame. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 94, Thunderbird < 91.3, and Firefox ESR < 91.3.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-38503?: The iframe sandbox rules were not correctly applied to XSLT stylesheets, allowing an iframe to bypass restrictions such as executing scripts or navigating the top-level frame. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 94, Thunderbird < 91.3, and Firefox ESR < 91.3.
How severe is CVE-2021-38503?: CVE-2021-38503 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 10.0, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-38503 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-38503?: CVE-2021-38503 primarily affects Mozilla Firefox. In total, 6 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-38503?: 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-2021-38503 published?: CVE-2021-38503 was published on 2021-12-08 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (6)

cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:firefox_esr:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:mozilla:thunderbird:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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