CVE-2023-32207 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Mozilla Firefox versions prior to 113, Firefox ESR versions prior to 102.11, and Thunderbird versions prior to 102.11. The vulnerability arises from a missing delay in popup notifications that could allow an attacker to exploit clickjacking techniques to bypass permission request dialogs. Clickjacking is an attack where a user is tricked into clicking on something different from what the user perceives, potentially granting permissions unknowingly. In this case, the lack of a delay in the popup notification means that an attacker can overlay or manipulate the user interface to induce the user to grant permissions such as access to camera, microphone, location, or notifications without their informed consent. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, with an attack vector over the network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The impact is high across confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as unauthorized permissions could lead to data leakage, unauthorized actions, or denial of service. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-290 (Authentication Bypass by Spoofing). No known exploits in the wild have been reported yet, but the potential for abuse is significant given Firefox's widespread use. The vulnerability was published on June 2, 2023, and Mozilla has released patches in Firefox 113 and ESR 102.11 to address this issue.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the widespread use of Firefox as a primary web browser in both enterprise and consumer environments. Unauthorized permission grants could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive resources such as webcams, microphones, or location data, potentially resulting in privacy breaches and data exfiltration. This is particularly critical for organizations handling sensitive personal data under GDPR regulations, where unauthorized data access can lead to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, attackers could leverage this vulnerability to escalate attacks, such as installing persistent malware or conducting surveillance. The integrity of communications and data could be compromised, and availability could be affected if malicious actions disrupt normal operations. Given that no privileges are required and the attack only requires user interaction, phishing or social engineering campaigns could be effective vectors, increasing the risk to organizations with less security-aware users.

European organizations should prioritize updating all affected Mozilla products to the latest patched versions: Firefox 113 or later, Firefox ESR 102.11 or later, and Thunderbird 102.11 or later. Beyond patching, organizations should implement strict browser usage policies that restrict the granting of sensitive permissions unless explicitly authorized by IT security teams. User awareness training should emphasize the risks of clicking on unexpected permission prompts and educate users on recognizing potential clickjacking attempts. Deploying browser security extensions or enterprise policies that limit or control permission requests can further reduce risk. Network-level protections such as web filtering to block malicious sites known for clickjacking attacks can also be effective. For high-risk environments, consider disabling or restricting use of browser features that require sensitive permissions unless absolutely necessary. Regular security audits and monitoring for unusual permission grants or browser behavior can help detect exploitation attempts early.