CVE-2002-0693
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 the HTML Help ActiveX Control (hhctrl.ocx) in Microsoft Windows 98, 98 Second Edition, Millennium Edition, NT 4.0, NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition, Windows 2000, and Windows XP allows remote attackers to execute code via (1) a long parameter to the Alink function, or (2) script containing a long argument to the showHelp function.
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 · high confidenceBuffer overflow in HTML Help ActiveX Control (hhctrl.ocx) allows remote code execution via long parameters to the Alink or showHelp functions. The vulnerability affects legacy Windows versions (98, 98SE, Me, NT 4.0, 2000, XP).
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 versionsall versionsall versions= 4.0all 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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 the Windows versionRun 'winver' or right-click My Computer > Properties, or run 'systeminfo' from command lineAffected if The operating system is Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Terminal Services, Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows Me, Windows NT 4.0, or Windows XP (any version)
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Verify hhctrl.ocx existsCheck if the file C:\Windows\System32\hhctrl.ocx (or C:\WinNT\System32\hhctrl.ocx on NT/2000) existsAffected if The file exists on the system (indicates the vulnerable component is present)
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Confirm ActiveX control is registeredCheck the Windows registry for the CLSID {52A2AAAE-085D-11D1-8BDE-00C004FB6F9F} under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID, or run 'regsvr32 /s hhctrl.ocx' to attempt registrationAffected if The control is registered in the registry (indicates it can be invoked by Internet Explorer)
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Check if IE uses ActiveX controlsIn Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level, look for 'Run ActiveX controls and plugins' settingAffected if ActiveX controls are enabled in Internet Explorer (particularly for the Internet or Intranet zones)
If the system runs any of the affected Windows versions (2000, 98, 98SE, Me, NT 4.0, XP) AND hhctrl.ocx is present AND ActiveX controls are enabled in Internet Explorer, the environment is likely affected by this vulnerability.
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 dataAll affected operating systems are end-of-life and no longer receive security updates. Primary mitigation is to upgrade to a supported Windows version or isolate these legacy systems from untrusted networks. The ActiveX control can also be disabled in Internet Explorer settings.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2002-0693 — 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-2002-0693 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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