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Hyperlink Object LibraryApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2006-3086

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2006-06-19
Patch available
A vendor patch is available. No clean upgrade release — apply the published patch.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click Patch available

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 · unedited
Stack-based buffer overflow in the HrShellOpenWithMonikerDisplayName function in Microsoft Hyperlink Object Library (hlink.dll) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long hyperlink, as demonstrated using an Excel worksheet with a long link in Unicode, aka "Hyperlink COM Object Buffer Overflow Vulnerability." NOTE: this is a different issue than CVE-2006-3059.

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
How this class of weakness works · CWE-119

The program reads or writes outside the bounds of an allocated buffer, corrupting adjacent memory. With crafted input an attacker can overwrite control data and, with effort, redirect execution to their own code. Remediation ranges from bounds checking and safe library functions to compiler mitigations, usually alongside a careful audit of the surrounding code.

General guidance for the memory buffer bounds error class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

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
Hyperlink Object LibraryApplication
Affected:all versions

CVSS 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
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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.

dbcve · scoped
Patch available Apply the vendor patch
Vendor patch secunia.com →
Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Windows versions with patched hlink.dll (post-MS06-044) or current supported Windows release

  1. Search Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-044 or related 2006 security updates for the Hyperlink Object Library vulnerability (CVE-2006-3086)
  2. Apply the relevant Microsoft security patch for hlink.dll
  3. If the system is too old to receive patches, consider migrating to a supported Windows version that includes the fixed hlink.dll component
  4. After patching, verify the hlink.dll version matches the patched release
Caveat Old Windows systems may require upgrade to receive security fixes; ensure application compatibility testing after patching

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2006-3086 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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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