CVE-2005-4845
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 Java Plug-in 1.4.2_03 and 1.4.2_04 controls, and the 1.4.2_03 and 1.4.2_04 <applet> redirector controls, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (Internet Explorer crash) by creating a COM object of the class associated with the control's CLSID, which is not intended for use within Internet Explorer.
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 confidenceThis vulnerability in Java Plug-in versions 1.4.2_03 and 1.4.2_04 allows remote attackers to cause Internet Explorer to crash by instantiating COM objects associated with the control's CLSID. The affected controls (both the Java Plug-in controls and the applet redirector controls) were not designed for use within Internet Explorer but can be externally instantiated, leading to a denial of service condition.
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= 1.4.2_03= 1.4.2_04CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/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 Java Plug-in version in useCheck the Java version installed by opening the Java Control Panel (via Windows Control Panel > Java) or by running 'java -version' from command line. Look for version 1.4.2_03 or 1.4.2_04 specifically.Affected if The installed Java Plug-in version is exactly 1.4.2_03 or 1.4.2_04
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Confirm Java Plug-in is enabled in Internet ExplorerOpen Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level. Under 'Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting', check whether Java Plug-in controls are enabled.Affected if Java Plug-in controls are enabled in Internet Explorer settings
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Check for Java Plug-in CLSID registrationExamine Windows registry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT for CLSID entries associated with Java Plug-in (such as clsid {CAFEEFAC-0014-xxxx-xxxx-ABCDEFGHIJXX}). Compare against known CLSIDs for vulnerable versions.Affected if Vulnerable Java Plug-in COM objects are registered in the Windows registry and accessible from IE
You are affected if Internet Explorer is used with Java Plug-in version 1.4.2_03 or 1.4.2_04 installed and the Java Plug-in controls are enabled in the browser.
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 Java to a version newer than 1.4.2_04, or disable the Java Plug-in in Internet Explorer if upgrading is not feasible.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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-2005-4845 — 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-2005-4845 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