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Blackice Pc ProtectionApplication · Iss

CVE-2006-3840

MEDIUM · 5.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2006-07-27
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
59/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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
The SMB Mailslot parsing functionality in PAM in multiple ISS products with XPU (24.39/1.78/epj/x.x.x.1780), including Proventia A, G, M, Server, and Desktop, BlackICE PC and Server Protection 3.6, and RealSecure 7.0, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite loop) via a crafted SMB packet that is not properly handled by the SMB_Mailslot_Heap_Overflow decode.

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 confidence

A vulnerability in the SMB Mailslot parsing functionality of IBM Internet Security Systems (ISS) Proventia, BlackICE, and RealSecure products allows remote attackers to trigger an infinite loop via a specially crafted SMB packet, causing denial of service. The flaw exists in the SMB_Mailslot_Heap_Overflow decode routine.

MitigationApply vendor patches for the specific XPU versions (24.39/1.78/epj/x.x.x.1780) or upgrade to current product versions; if products are end-of-life, replace with modern security solutions and restrict SMB network access.

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
Blackice Pc ProtectionApplication
Affected:= 3.6cpk
Blackice Server ProtectionApplication
Affected:= 3.6cpk
Proventia DesktopApplication
Affected:= 8.0.675.1790= 8.0.812.1790
Realsecure DesktopApplication
Affected:= 7.0epk
Realsecure NetworkApplication
Affected:= 7.0
Realsecure Server SensorApplication
Affected:= 7.0
Proventia A Series XpuHardware / appliance
Affected:all versions
Proventia G Series XpuHardware / appliance
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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed ISS security product
    Check system for presence of IBM Internet Security Systems products: BlackICE PC Protection, BlackICE Server Protection, Proventia Desktop, Proventia A Series XPU, Proventia G Series XPU, RealSecure Desktop, RealSecure Network, or RealSecure Server Sensor. Look in installed programs, services, or product directories.
    Affected if Any of the listed ISS products are installed on the system
  2. Check installed product version
    Locate the version information for the installed ISS product (typically in Add/Remove Programs, product About dialog, help menu, or the product's service information). Compare the exact version number to the affected ranges: 3.6cpk for BlackICE products, 8.0.675.1790 or 8.0.812.1790 for Proventia Desktop, 7.0epk for RealSecure Desktop, 7.0 for RealSecure Network/Server Sensor, or any version for Proventia A/G Series XPU.
    Affected if The installed version exactly matches one of the affected version numbers listed, or for Proventia A/G Series XPU, any version is installed
  3. Verify SMB inspection is active
    Check the product configuration to confirm SMB protocol inspection or Mailslot parsing is enabled. This is typically a setting within the IDS/IPS protection profile, network filter configuration, or protocol analysis module. For command-line verification, check the product's service status and configuration files if accessible.
    Affected if The SMB inspection or Mailslot parsing feature is enabled in the product configuration (this is typically enabled by default in these security products)
  4. Confirm network exposure to SMB traffic
    Determine if the system has open SMB-related ports (TCP 445, 139) or is positioned to receive SMB traffic from untrusted networks. Review network interface binding and firewall rules for the ISS product.
    Affected if The system is listening on SMB ports or can receive SMB packets from network sources

The environment is affected if any of the listed ISS products (BlackICE, Proventia, or RealSecure) with the specified versions is installed and SMB inspection is enabled, as the vulnerability triggers via crafted SMB packets processed by the Mailslot parsing routine.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply vendor patches for the specific XPU versions (24.39/1.78/epj/x.x.x.1780) or upgrade to current product versions; if products are end-of-life, replace with modern security solutions and restrict SMB network access.

Fix this in Blackice Pc Protection Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2006-3840 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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