Vulnerability 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.
CVSS Score
HIGH
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Mozilla | Firefox | < 67.0 |
| Mozilla | Firefox Esr | < 60.7 |
| Mozilla | Thunderbird | < 60.7 |
| Apple | Macos | - |
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1546544Permissions RequiredThird Party Advisory
- https://mdsattacks.com/Third Party Advisory
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-13/Vendor Advisory
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-14/Vendor Advisory
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-15/Vendor Advisory
- https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1546544Permissions RequiredThird Party Advisory
- https://mdsattacks.com/Third Party Advisory
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-13/Vendor Advisory
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-14/Vendor Advisory
- https://www.mozilla.org/security/advisories/mfsa2019-15/Vendor Advisory
FAQ
What is CVE-2019-9815?
CVE-2019-9815 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 8.1 (HIGH). 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 r...
How severe is CVE-2019-9815?
CVE-2019-9815 has been rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 8.1/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2019-9815?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Firefox Esr, Mozilla Thunderbird, Apple Macos.