CVE-2016-2830: Infoleak
Last updated 24 July 2024
Other sources
Mozilla Firefox before 48.0 and Firefox ESR 45.x before 45.3 preserve the network connection used for favicon resource retrieval after the associated browser window is closed, which makes it easier for remote web servers to track users by observing network traffic from multiple IP addresses.
— Launchpad
Security researcher Toni Huttunen reported that once the favicon is requested from a site, the favicon network connection will persist even when the page is later closed. This allows a malicious site to continue to use this channel to send requests to the browser, leading to potential information disclosure, such as the IP address of the user.
External Reference:
https://www.mozilla.org/security/announce/2016/mfsa2016-63.html
Acknowledgements:
Name: the Mozilla project Upstream: Toni Huttunen
— Red Hat
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2016-2830?
CVE-2016-2830 is a vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox and Firefox ESR that allows remote web servers to track users by observing network traffic from multiple IP addresses.
What is the severity of CVE-2016-2830?
The severity of CVE-2016-2830 is medium with a severity value of 4.3.
How does CVE-2016-2830 work?
CVE-2016-2830 allows the network connection used for favicon resource retrieval to be preserved even after the associated browser window is closed, making it easier for remote web servers to track users.
Which versions of Mozilla Firefox and Firefox ESR are affected by CVE-2016-2830?
Mozilla Firefox versions up to 47.0.1 and Firefox ESR versions 45.x before 45.3 are affected by CVE-2016-2830.
How can I fix CVE-2016-2830?
To fix CVE-2016-2830, update your Mozilla Firefox to version 48.0 or later, or update your Firefox ESR to version 45.3 or later.