Is CVE-2023-5172 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2023-5172 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2023-5172 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2023-5172 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2023-5172?

CVE-2023-5172 has a CVSS score of 9.8 (CRITICAL).

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CRITICAL

CVE-2023-5172

CWE-416Published: September 27, 2023· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

A hashtable in the Ion Engine could have been mutated while there was a live interior reference, leading to a potential use-after-free and exploitable crash. This vulnerability affects Firefox < 118.

NVD Source

Risk Analysis

The Ion Engine in Firefox contains a use-after-free vulnerability caused by improper hashtable mutation. This flaw could be exploited to cause a crash or potentially execute arbitrary code.

There is no known public exploit, and it is not in KEV. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable with low complexity.

Recommended Action

Update to Firefox version 118 or later.

Generated by the CTIWATCH analysis pipeline from this CVE's metadata (CVSS, EPSS, KEV status, exploit intelligence). Verify against vendor advisories before acting.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2023-5172 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.