CVE-2026-4685
Published: 24 March 2026
Summary
CVE-2026-4685 is a high-severity Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (CWE-754) vulnerability in Mozilla Firefox. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Application or System Exploitation (T1499.004); ranked at the 48.2th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-2 (Flaw Remediation) and RA-5 (Vulnerability Monitoring and Scanning).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2026-4685 is a vulnerability involving incorrect boundary conditions in the Graphics: Canvas2D component of Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird. It affects versions of Firefox prior to 149, Firefox ESR prior to 115.34 and 140.9, and Thunderbird prior to 149 and 140.9. The issue, classified under CWE-754 (Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions), carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5, reflecting high severity due to its potential for denial-of-service impacts.
A remote attacker requires no privileges or user interaction to exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity. By crafting malicious content that triggers the boundary condition flaw in Canvas2D rendering, an attacker can cause the affected browser or mail client to crash, resulting in a denial of service with high availability impact but no compromise of confidentiality or integrity.
Mozilla's security advisories (MFSA 2026-20 through 2026-23) and the associated Bugzilla entry detail the fix applied in the listed versions. Security practitioners should prioritize updating to Firefox 149, Firefox ESR 115.34 or 140.9, Thunderbird 149, or Thunderbird 140.9 to mitigate the issue.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-14794
Vulnerability details
Incorrect boundary conditions in the Graphics: Canvas2D component. This vulnerability was fixed in Firefox 149, Firefox ESR 115.34, Firefox ESR 140.9, Thunderbird 149, and Thunderbird 140.9.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
CVE enables remote, zero-interaction application crash via Canvas2D boundary flaw, directly matching Application or System Exploitation for Endpoint DoS (T1499.004).
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly mandates timely identification, reporting, and patching of flaws like the Canvas2D boundary condition vulnerability in CVE-2026-4685 affecting Firefox and Thunderbird.
Enables scanning and monitoring to identify systems running vulnerable versions of Firefox or Thunderbird prior to exploitation of the DoS flaw.
Requires receiving and acting on security advisories such as Mozilla's MFSA for CVE-2026-4685 to facilitate rapid flaw remediation.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that reduce the attack surface for weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Derived transitively via CVE→CWE→STIG over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only).
Oracle Linux 8 (3 rules)
- V-248574 YUM must be configured to prevent the installation of patches, service packs, device drivers, or OL 8 system components that have not been digitally signed using a certificate that is recognized and approved by the organization. via CWE-754
- V-248573 The OL 8 file integrity tool must notify the system administrator (SA) when changes to the baseline configuration or anomalies in the operation of any security functions are discovered within an organizationally defined frequency. via CWE-754
- V-248575 OL 8 must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components of local packages without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. via CWE-754
Oracle Linux 9 (1 rule)
- V-271452 OL 9 must use a Linux Security Module configured to enforce limits on system services. via CWE-754