CVE-2005-3372
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 · uneditedMultiple interpretation error in eTrust CA 7.0.1.4 with the 11.9.1 engine allows remote attackers to bypass virus scanning via a file such as BAT, HTML, and EML with an "MZ" magic byte sequence which is normally associated with EXE, which causes the file to be treated as a safe type that could still be executed as a dangerous file type by applications on the end system, as demonstrated by a "triple headed" program that contains EXE, EML, and HTML content, aka the "magic byte bug."
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 confidenceeTrust CA 7.0.1.4 with the 11.9.1 engine has a multiple interpretation error where file type detection relies on magic bytes rather than full content analysis. Attackers can embed 'MZ' magic bytes (typically associated with EXE files) into BAT, HTML, or EML files, causing the antivirus to misclassify them as safe while the embedded executable code remains executable by end-user applications.
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= 7.0.1.4CVSS 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
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:H/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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Identify eTrust Antivirus installationCheck for the presence of eTrust Antivirus or CA Antivirus in installed programs, program files directory, or system servicesAffected if eTrust Antivirus is installed on the system
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Verify product version is 7.0.1.4Use the antivirus product's built-in about or version information feature, or check the program files directory for version detailsAffected if The installed version is exactly 7.0.1.4
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Confirm engine version is 11.9.1Check the antivirus engine or definition file version through the product interface or associated DAT/DEF filesAffected if The engine version is 11.9.1
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Determine if magic byte scanning is activeReview the antivirus scan configuration or logs to confirm file type detection relies on magic bytes rather than content analysisAffected if The product uses magic byte-based file type detection without full content inspection
If eTrust Antivirus version 7.0.1.4 with the 11.9.1 engine is installed and using magic byte detection, the environment is 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 dataUpgrade eTrust CA to a version with the vulnerability fixed, or deploy additional content inspection/behavioral detection layers to catch malicious files that bypass magic byte-based type detection.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $8,960.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2005-3372 — 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-2005-3372 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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