CVE-2023-3417: File Extension Spoofing using the Text Direction Override Character

Published Jul 4, 2023
·
Updated

Last updated 24 July 2024

Other sources

Thunderbird allowed the Text Direction Override Unicode Character in filenames. An email attachment could be incorrectly shown as being a document file, while in fact it was an executable file. Newer versions of Thunderbird will strip the character and show the correct file extension.

Affected Software

10 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/thunderbird<102.13.1
102.13.1
redhat/thunderbird<115.0.1
115.0.1
Mozilla Thunderbird<115.0.1
115.0.1
Mozilla Thunderbird<102.13.1
102.13.1
Mozilla Thunderbird<102.13.1
Mozilla Thunderbird>=115.0<115.0.1
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
Debian Debian Linux=11.0
Debian Debian Linux=12.0
debian/thunderbird
1:115.12.0-1~deb11u11:128.9.0esr-1~deb11u11:128.8.0esr-1~deb12u11:128.9.0esr-1~deb12u11:128.9.0esr-1

Event History

Jul 4, 2023
CVE Published
via Mozilla·12:00 AM
Jul 24, 2023
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:09 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:09 AM
Description
Jan 12, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·12:21 AM
Description
Sep 16, 2024
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·02:43 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Peer vulnerabilities

Found alongside the following vulnerabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the vulnerability ID?

The vulnerability ID is CVE-2023-3417.

2

What was the impact of CVE-2023-3417?

The impact of CVE-2023-3417 was that Thunderbird allowed the Text Direction Override Unicode Character in filenames, resulting in email attachments being incorrectly shown as document files when they were actually executable files.

3

Which versions of Thunderbird are affected by CVE-2023-3417?

Thunderbird versions up to 102.13.1 and versions up to 115.0.1 are affected by CVE-2023-3417.

4

How can I mitigate CVE-2023-3417?

To mitigate CVE-2023-3417, it is recommended to update to newer versions of Thunderbird (102.13.1 or higher) that strip the Text Direction Override Unicode Character from filenames.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2023-3417?

You can find more information about CVE-2023-3417 on the Mozilla security advisories pages: [https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2023-28/](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2023-28/) and [https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2023-27/](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/security/advisories/mfsa2023-27/)

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