CVE-2018-5188: Buffer Overflow

Published Jun 26, 2018
·
Updated

Last updated 25 August 2025

Other sources

Memory safety bugs present in Firefox 60, Firefox ESR 60, and Firefox ESR 52.8. Some of these bugs showed evidence of memory corruption and we presume that with enough effort that some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code. This vulnerability affects Thunderbird < 60, Thunderbird < 52.9, Firefox ESR < 60.1, Firefox ESR < 52.9, and Firefox < 61.

— Launchpad

Mozilla developers and community members Alex Gaynor, Christoph Diehl, Christian Holler, Jason Kratzer, David Major, Jon Coppeard, Nicolas B. Pierron, Jason Kratzer, Marcia Knous, and Ronald Crane reported memory safety bugs present in Firefox 60, Firefox ESR 60, and Firefox ESR 52.8. Some of these bugs showed evidence of memory corruption and we presume that with enough effort that some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code.

Mozilla developers and community members Alex Gaynor, Christoph Diehl, Christian Holler, Jason Kratzer, David Major, Jon Coppeard, Nicolas B. Pierron, Jason Kratzer, Marcia Knous, and Ronald Crane reported memory safety bugs present in Firefox 60, Firefox ESR 60, Firefox ESR 52.8, and Thunderbird 52.8. Some of these bugs showed evidence of memory corruption and we presume that with enough effort that some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code.

— Mozilla

Mozilla developers and community members reported memory safety bugs present in Firefox 60, Firefox ESR 60, and Firefox ESR 52.8. Some of these bugs showed evidence of memory corruption and we presume that with enough effort that some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code.

External Reference:

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2018-16/#CVE-2018-5188

— Red Hat

Affected Software

29 affected componentsFixes available
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=17.10
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Mozilla Firefox<61.0
Mozilla Firefox>=53.0<60.1.0
Mozilla Firefox ESR<52.9
Mozilla Thunderbird<52.9
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Eus=7.5
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Eus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation=7.0
Mozilla Thunderbird<60
60
Mozilla Thunderbird<52.9
52.9
Mozilla Firefox<61
61
Mozilla Firefox ESR<52.9
52.9
Mozilla Firefox ESR<60.1
60.1
Mozilla Firefox ESR>=53.0<60.1.0
debian/firefox
147.0.4-1
debian/firefox-esr
115.14.0esr-1~deb11u1140.7.0esr-1~deb11u1128.14.0esr-1~deb12u1140.7.0esr-1~deb12u1140.4.0esr-1~deb13u1140.7.0esr-1~deb13u1140.7.0esr-1
debian/thunderbird
1:115.12.0-1~deb11u11:140.7.1esr-1~deb11u11:140.6.0esr-1~deb12u11:140.7.1esr-1~deb12u11:140.6.0esr-1~deb13u11:140.7.1esr-1~deb13u11:140.7.1esr-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade Thunderbird to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 60
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade Thunderbird to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 52.9
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade Firefox to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 61
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade Firefox ESR to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 52.9
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade Firefox ESR to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 60.1
  6. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/firefox to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 147.0.4-1
  7. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/firefox-esr to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 115.14.0esr-1~deb11u1Fixed in 140.7.0esr-1~deb11u1Fixed in 128.14.0esr-1~deb12u1Fixed in 140.7.0esr-1~deb12u1Fixed in 140.4.0esr-1~deb13u1Fixed in 140.7.0esr-1~deb13u1Fixed in 140.7.0esr-1
  8. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/thunderbird to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:115.12.0-1~deb11u1Fixed in 1:140.7.1esr-1~deb11u1Fixed in 1:140.6.0esr-1~deb12u1Fixed in 1:140.7.1esr-1~deb12u1Fixed in 1:140.6.0esr-1~deb13u1Fixed in 1:140.7.1esr-1~deb13u1Fixed in 1:140.7.1esr-1
  9. Upgrade

    Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 60
  10. Upgrade

    Upgrade Mozilla Firefox to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 60.1
  11. Upgrade

    Upgrade Mozilla Thunderbird to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 52.9
  12. Upgrade

    Upgrade Mozilla Firefox ESR to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 60.1
  13. Upgrade

    Upgrade Mozilla Firefox to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 61
  14. Upgrade

    Upgrade Mozilla Thunderbird to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 60

Event History

Jun 26, 2018
CVE Published
via Mozilla·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·01:53 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Aug 23, 2018
Data Sourced
via Mozilla·12:00 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Oct 18, 2018
CVE Published
via MITRE·01:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·01:00 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:06 PM
Description
Nov 25, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·06:14 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Feb 20, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·04:28 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Peer vulnerabilities

Found alongside the following vulnerabilities.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2018-5188?

CVE-2018-5188 has a high severity due to the potential for memory corruption leading to arbitrary code execution.

2

How do I fix CVE-2018-5188?

To fix CVE-2018-5188, update Mozilla Thunderbird to version 60 or higher, or Firefox ESR to version 60.1 or higher.

3

Which software is affected by CVE-2018-5188?

CVE-2018-5188 affects Mozilla Thunderbird versions up to 60 and Firefox ESR versions up to 60.1, among others.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2018-5188?

CVE-2018-5188 is classified as a memory safety vulnerability that can potentially lead to memory corruption.

5

Are there any workarounds for CVE-2018-5188?

There are no recommended workarounds for CVE-2018-5188 other than applying the available software updates.

Company

Resources

Contact

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