CVE-2002-0070
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 · uneditedBuffer overflow in Windows Shell (used as the Windows Desktop) allows local and possibly remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a custom URL handler that has not been removed for an application that has been improperly uninstalled.
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 confidenceBuffer overflow vulnerability in Windows Shell (Windows Desktop) allows arbitrary code execution via a custom URL handler that remains registered after an application is improperly uninstalled, leaving orphaned URL handler entries in the system registry that can be triggered by attackers.
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 dataall versionsall versionsall versions= 4.0CVSS 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.
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Check Windows versionRun 'winver' or check System Properties to identify the installed Windows version.Affected if The version is Windows 2000, Windows 98, Windows 98se, or Windows NT 4.0
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Identify installed applications with custom URL handlersReview installed programs in Add/Remove Programs and note any applications that register custom URL handlers (such as protocols like myapp://).Affected if Applications with custom URL protocol handlers are present on the system
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Inspect registry for orphaned URL handlers under HKCUOpen regedit and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes. Look for protocol entries (keys ending with a colon, e.g., 'myapp:'). Check if the associated application is still installed.Affected if Custom URL handler keys exist without a corresponding installed application
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Inspect registry for orphaned URL handlers under HKLMOpen regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes. Examine protocol handler entries and verify if the associated application is still present on the system.Affected if Custom URL handler keys exist without a corresponding installed application
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Verify URL handler executabilityAttempt to trigger a custom URL handler (e.g., type 'myapp:test' in Run dialog) to see if it executes, then check if the handler points to a valid executable.Affected if A URL handler executes but points to a missing or invalid executable
A user is affected if they run an affected Windows version and have orphaned custom URL handler entries in the registry from improperly uninstalled applications that could be triggered by attackers.
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 dataIdentify and remove orphaned custom URL handler registry entries (under HKCU\Software\Classes or HKLM\Software\Classes) left behind by improperly uninstalled applications, or reinstall and properly uninstall affected applications.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2002-0070 — 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-2002-0070 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
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- 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
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