CVE-2000-0160
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe Microsoft Active Setup ActiveX component in Internet Explorer 4.x and 5.x allows a remote attacker to install software components without prompting the user by stating that the software's manufacturer is Microsoft.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceThe Microsoft Active Setup ActiveX component in Internet Explorer 4.x and 5.x contains a vulnerability that allows remote attackers to install software components without user prompting. The flaw exploits the trust mechanism by allowing malicious ActiveX controls to masquerade as Microsoft-authored components, bypassing the normal installation prompts.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 4.x= 5all versionsCVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- High
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check installed Internet Explorer versionOpen IE, go to Help > About Internet Explorer, or run 'winver' command, or check registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\VersionAffected if Version is 4.x or 5.x (any subversion)
-
Check if Outlook is installedCheck for Microsoft Outlook in Add/Remove Programs (appwiz.cpl), or check for outlook.exe in Program Files, or check registry HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\OUTLOOK.EXEAffected if Any version of Microsoft Outlook is installed (the vulnerability affects all versions)
-
Verify Active Setup component presenceCheck for the file 'ieexec.exe' in the Windows System32 or related IE folders, or check registry HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components for Microsoft entriesAffected if The Active Setup component exists on the system (this is the vulnerable component)
-
Check IE security zone settings for ActiveXIn IE, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security, click 'Custom Level' and review 'Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe' settingAffected if ActiveX controls are enabled or set to Prompt/Allow in any zone (enables the attack vector)
-
Confirm system is running legacy IEVerify the Windows version supports IE 4.x or 5.x (typically Windows 95/98/ME/NT 4.0/2000), check system info (msinfo32)Affected if Operating system is an older version that shipped with or supports IE 4.x/5.x
Your environment is affected if Internet Explorer 4.x or 5.x, or any version of Microsoft Outlook is installed, as these contain the vulnerable Active Setup component that bypasses installation prompts for malicious ActiveX controls.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade to a supported, modern web browser (Internet Explorer 11 or Microsoft Edge, or alternate browsers like Chrome/Firefox) as older IE versions are no longer supported and contain this and many other unpatched vulnerabilities.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2000-0160 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2000-0160 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data