Overview
CVE-2025-6426 is a critical security vulnerability identified in Firefox for macOS. It is found that the executable file warning system does not provide appropriate alerts to users before opening files with the ‘terminal’ extension. This issue leaves the system exposed to potential threats, leading to possible system compromise or data leakage. Given that this vulnerability is present in Firefox versions below 140 and Firefox ESR versions less than 128.12, users of these versions are at significant risk.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-6426
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise, Data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Firefox for macOS | < 140 Firefox ESR for macOS | < 128.12 How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability exploits the lack of a warning system in Firefox that should alert users when opening files with the ‘terminal’ extension. An attacker can craft a malicious ‘terminal’ file and trick a user into opening it. Once the file is opened, the attacker can execute arbitrary code, gain unauthorized access to the system, or extract sensitive information, leading to a system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of a terminal command that could exploit the vulnerability:
# A malicious terminal command that uses the vulnerability
open -a Firefox malicious_file.terminalThis command opens the `malicious_file.terminal` using Firefox. If the user is running a vulnerable version of Firefox, the malicious file will be opened without any warning, potentially leading to the execution of harmful code.
Mitigation Measures
While the ultimate solution to this vulnerability is to apply the appropriate vendor patch, users can also employ WAF (Web Application Firewall) or IDS (Intrusion Detection System) as temporary mitigation measures until the patch is applied. Users are strongly advised to update their Firefox to the latest version to avoid potential exploitation of this vulnerability.