CVE-2008-4301

A certain ActiveX control in iisext.dll in Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) allows remote attackers to set a password via a string argument to the…

published September 29, 2008

CVSS
—
EPSS
17%
Percentile
97.1
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚠️ An unverified report claims that a remote attacker could change passwords using Microsoft IIS's ActiveX control — it sounds serious, but the reliability is a bit shaky! Think of it like a hotel where a guest claims to have found a way to switch rooms with just a phone call — potentially alarming, but without solid proof, can you really trust it? If this vulnerability were real, an attacker could potentially walk into an IIS server and change passwords at will, giving them unauthorized access. The implications could be catastrophic, leading to data breaches or service disruptions. However, given the uncertainty surrounding this issue, the risk might be more of a ghost story than a real threat.

Put simply

Think of it like a hotel where a guest claims to have found a way to switch rooms with just a phone call — potentially alarming, but without solid proof, can you really trust it? This vulnerability revolves around an ActiveX control in iisext.dll that allegedly allows attackers to set a password through the SetPassword method, but its exploitability hasn't been reliably reproduced by third parties.

What to do

If this vulnerability were real, an attacker could potentially walk into an IIS server and change passwords at will, giving them unauthorized access. The implications could be catastrophic, leading to data breaches or service disruptions. However, given the uncertainty surrounding this issue, the risk might be more of a ghost story than a real threat. Since the severity isn't confirmed, monitor the situation but ensure that your IIS is kept up-to-date with the latest patches. Consider implementing additional security measures like disabling ActiveX controls if they're not needed. You've got this! Stay vigilant and keep your systems updated — your security hero status is on the rise! 🦸

The record
Technical detail
CVSS
Not scored
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.17057 · 97.1th percentile
Published
2008-09-29T17:00Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 29 SEP 17:00Z
    A certain ActiveX control in iisext.dll in Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) allows remote attackers to set a password via a string argument to the…
    cvelistv5