CVE-2006-0526
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 default configuration of the America Online (AOL) client software allows all users to modify a certain registry value that specifies a DLL file name, which might allow local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse program.
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 confidenceThe America Online (AOL) client software has a default configuration flaw where a registry value specifying a DLL file name is writable by all users. This improper permission allows local unprivileged users to modify the registry to point to a malicious DLL, achieving privilege escalation through DLL hijacking.
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= 8.0= 9.0CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/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 if AOL Client Software version 8.0 or 9.0 is installedOpen Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl) or check the installation directory for AOL software, typically under Program Files\AOL or similar paths. Use command: reg query 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall' /s | findstr -i 'AOL' to locate AOL installations and their version numbers.Affected if AOL Client Software version 8.0 or 9.0 is found installed on the system.
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Locate the vulnerable registry key containing the DLL valueSearch the Windows registry for AOL-related DLL loading entries. Common paths to inspect include HKLM\SOFTWARE\AOL and HKCU\SOFTWARE\AOL, as well as any registry keys under the AOL software's App Paths. Look for registry values with names suggesting DLL file specification, such as 'DLLName', 'DllPath', or similar.Affected if A registry value that specifies a DLL file name to be loaded by the AOL client is found in the registry.
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Verify permissions on the vulnerable registry valueUse regedit.exe to navigate to the identified registry value. Right-click the key containing the DLL value and select 'Permissions'. Click 'Advanced' to view the permission entries. Check if users (Everyone, Users, or authenticated users) have 'Full Control' or 'Write' permissions granted.Affected if Non-administrator users are granted Write or Full Control permissions on the registry key containing the DLL specification.
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Confirm the registry value is writable by testing with a non-admin accountIf possible, switch to a standard user account and attempt to modify the identified registry value using reg add or regedit. Alternatively, use accesschk.exe or icacls on the registry key from an elevated command prompt to confirm write access for standard users.Affected if A standard (non-privileged) user account can successfully modify the registry value that specifies the DLL file name.
The system is affected if AOL Client Software version 8.0 or 9.0 is installed and the registry key containing the DLL file name is writable by non-administrator users, allowing local privilege escalation via DLL hijacking.
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 dataRestrict write permissions on the vulnerable registry key to administrators only, or remove/disable the outdated AOL client software if no longer needed.
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- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2006-0526 — 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-2006-0526 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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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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