CVE-2003-0530
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 BR549.DLL ActiveX control for Internet Explorer 5.01 SP3 through 6.0 SP1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code.
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 the BR549.DLL ActiveX control for Internet Explorer versions 5.01 SP3 through 6.0 SP1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malformed parameters passed to the control.
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= 6.0= 5.0.1= 5.5= 6.0CVSS 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
- 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 Internet Explorer versionOpen Internet Explorer, click Help > About Internet Explorer, or run 'winver' command, or check registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\VersionAffected if Version is 5.01 SP3, 5.5, or 6.0 (specifically versions from 5.01 SP3 through 6.0 SP1)
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Locate BR549.DLL on the systemSearch for BR549.DLL in Windows system directories (typically C:\Windows\System32\ or C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\) using File Explorer search or command: dir /s C:\BR549.DLLAffected if BR549.DLL file exists on the system
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Check if BR549.DLL is registered as an ActiveX controlCheck registry for CLSID under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\DistributedCOM or run 'reg query HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\\{CLSID}' if known CLSID for BR549 control exists, or check registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ActiveX\LoadedProjectBars\ for BR549 entryAffected if BR549.DLL is registered as an ActiveX control in the Windows registry
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Verify ActiveX controls are enabled in Internet ExplorerIn IE, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level, check 'ActiveX controls and plugins' settings, or check registry: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\ for Zone 3 (Trusted) or Zone 2 (Intranet) settings allowing ActiveXAffected if ActiveX controls are allowed to run (not set to Disable or Prompt for the relevant security zone)
User is affected if running Internet Explorer version 5.01 SP3 through 6.0 SP1 AND the BR549.DLL ActiveX control is present, registered, and ActiveX is enabled in their security zone
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 dataDisable or remove the vulnerable BR549.DLL ActiveX control in Internet Explorer via registry settings or group policy, or upgrade to a patched version if available.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $1,744.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2003-0530 — 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-2003-0530 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data