CVE-2006-3456
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 Symantec NAVOPTS.DLL ActiveX control (aka Symantec.Norton.AntiVirus.NAVOptions) 12.2.0.13, as used in Norton AntiVirus, Internet Security, and System Works 2005 and 2006, is designed for use only in application-embedded web browsers, which allows remote attackers to "crash the control" via unspecified vectors related to content on a web site, and place Internet Explorer into a "defunct state" in which remote attackers can execute arbitrary code in addition to other Symantec ActiveX controls, regardless of whether they are marked safe for scripting. NOTE: this CVE was inadvertently used for an E-mail Auto-Protect issue, but that issue has been assigned CVE-2007-3771.
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 Symantec NAVOPTS.DLL ActiveX control (version 12.2.0.13) in Norton AntiVirus, Internet Security, and System Works 2005/2006 can be crashed by remote attackers via web site content, putting Internet Explorer into a 'defunct state' that allows arbitrary code execution. Additionally, this state bypasses the 'safe for scripting' security setting on other Symantec ActiveX controls, enabling them to be exploited regardless of their security markings.
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= 2005= 2006= 2005= 2006= 2005= 2006CVSS 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
- Single
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/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 Norton 2005 or 2006 products are installedLook in Add/Remove Programs (appwiz.cpl) or check the registry at HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for Norton AntiVirus, Norton Internet Security, or Norton System Works with version numbers 2005 or 2006Affected if Any of these three products with version 2005 or 2006 is installed
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Locate NAVOPTS.DLL on the systemSearch for NAVOPTS.DLL in typical Norton installation directories such as C:\Program Files\Symantec\ or C:\Program Files\Norton\, and also check C:\Windows\System32Affected if The DLL file exists on the system
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Verify the DLL version is 12.2.0.13Right-click NAVOPTS.DLL, select Properties, then go to the Version tab to read the File Version, or run: powershell (Get-Item 'C:\Path\To\NAVOPTS.DLL').VersionInfo.FileVersionAffected if The file version is exactly 12.2.0.13
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Check if the ActiveX control is registeredOpen the registry and look for the CLSID under HKCR\CLSID\{the CLSID for NAVOPTS.DLL}. You can also view registered ActiveX controls in IE by going to Internet Options > Programs > Manage Add-onsAffected if The ActiveX control appears in the list of registered or loaded add-ons in Internet Explorer
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Confirm the product is the vulnerable 2005/2006 editionCompare your installed product name and version to the affected list: Norton AntiVirus 2005 or 2006, Norton Internet Security 2005 or 2006, or Norton System Works 2005 or 2006Affected if The installed product matches any of these specific version numbers
If NAVOPTS.DLL version 12.2.0.13 is present from Norton AntiVirus, Internet Security, or System Works 2005/2006, the system is vulnerable and the ActiveX control can be exploited.
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 the affected ActiveX control via Internet Explorer settings or registry, and upgrade to a supported version of Norton software as these 2005/2006 products are end-of-life and no longer receive security updates.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,304.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2006-3456 — 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-2006-3456 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