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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2025-05-19 14:15:20.725
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Mozilla fixes Firefox zero-days exploited at hacking contest. Mozilla released emergency security updates to address two Firefox zero-day vulnerabilities demonstrated in the recent Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 hacking competition. The fixes, which include the Firefox on Desktop and Android and two Extended Support Releases (ESR), came mere hours after the conclusion of Pwn2Own, on Saturday, where the second vulnerability was demonstrated. The first flaw, tracked under CVE-2025-4918, is an out-of-bounds read/write issue in the JavaScript engine when resolving Promise objects. The flaw was demonstrated during Day 2 of the competition by Palo Alto Networks security researchers Edouard Bochin and Tao Yan, who earned $50,000 for their discovery. The second flaw, CVE-2025-4919, allows attackers to perform out-of-bounds reads/writes on a JavaScript object by confusing array index sizes. It was discovered by security researcher Manfred Paul, who gained unauthorized access within the program's renderer, winning $50,000 in the process. Although the flaws constitute significant risks for Firefox, with Mozilla rating them "critical" in its bulletins, the software vendor underlined that neither researchers could perform a sandbox escape, citing targeted strengthening on that front. "Unlike prior years, neither participating group was able to escape our sandbox this year," explained Firefox in the announcement. "We have verbal confirmation that this is attributed to the recent architectural improvements to our Firefox sandbox which have neutered a wide range of such attacks." Although there are no indications that the two flaws have been exploited outside of Pwn2Own, their public demonstration could fuel real attacks soon. To mitigate this risk, Mozilla engaged a diverse "task force" from across the globe that worked feverishly to develop fixes for the demonstrated exploits, test them, and push out security updates as soon as possible. Firefox users are recommended to upgrade to version 138.0.4, ESR 128.10.1, or ESR 115.23.1. Pwn2Own Berlin 2025 concluded on Saturday with over a million USD in payouts and the STAR Labs SG team winning the 'Master or Pwn' title. Two Firefox zero-days were also demonstrated last year at Pwn2Own Vancouver 2024, with Mozilla fixing them the next day. Top 10 MITRE ATT&CK© Techniques Behind 93% of Attacks Based on an analysis of 14M malicious actions, discover the top 10 MITRE ATT&CK techniques behind 93% of attacks and how to defend against them.
Daily Brief Summary
Mozilla addressed two critical Firefox zero-day vulnerabilities immediately following their demonstration at the Pwn2Own Berlin 2025.
The vulnerabilities impacted both desktop and Android versions of Firefox and related Extended Support Releases.
CVE-2025-4918 involved an out-of-bounds read/write issue in the JavaScript engine with Promise objects, unveiled by Palo Alto Networks researchers.
CVE-2025-4919 allowed out-of-bounds reads/writes by manipulating array index sizes, discovered by researcher Manfred Paul.
Even though no sandbox escapes occurred, Mozilla credited recent enhancements to the Firefox sandbox for preventing further exploitability.
The disclosed zero-days prompted the formation of a global task force by Mozilla to quickly develop and deploy fixes.
Firefox users are urged to update their browsers to the latest versions as recommended by Mozilla to mitigate potential exploitation risks.
The incident underlines the ongoing significance of high-profile security competitions like Pwn2Own in uncovering vulnerabilities.