CVE-2025-3909

CVE-2025-3909: JavaScript Execution via Spoofed PDF Attachment and file:/// Link

Published May 14, 2025
Last update April 13, 2026

CVSS base score

What the vulnerability does

Description

Thunderbird's handling of the X-Mozilla-External-Attachment-URL header can be exploited to execute JavaScript in the file:/// context. By crafting a nested email attachment (message/rfc822) and setting its content type to application/pdf, Thunderbird may incorrectly render it as HTML when opened, allowing the embedded JavaScript to run without requiring a file download. This behavior relies on Thunderbird auto-saving the attachment to /tmp and linking to it via the file:/// protocol, potentially enabling JavaScript execution as part of the HTML. This vulnerability was fixed in Thunderbird 128.10.1 and Thunderbird 138.0.1.

Key dates

Disclosure timeline

May 14, 2025 CVE published
April 13, 2026 Record updated