CVE-2006-6442
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 · uneditedStack-based buffer overflow in the SetClientInfo function in the CDDBControlAOL.CDDBAOLControl ActiveX control (cddbcontrol.dll), as used in America Online (AOL) 7.0 4114.563, 8.0 4129.230, and 9.0 Security Edition 4156.910, and possibly other products, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long ClientId argument.
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 confidenceStack-based buffer overflow in the SetClientInfo function of the CDDBControlAOL ActiveX control (cddbcontrol.dll) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an overly long ClientId parameter. The vulnerability affects multiple AOL versions (7.0, 8.0, 9.0 Security Edition) and can be triggered via a malicious webpage or HTML email.
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= 7.0_4114.563= 8.0_4129.230= 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
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:M/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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Locate the vulnerable ActiveX DLLSearch for cddbcontrol.dll on the system file system, typically found in the AOL program directory (for example, C:\Program Files\America Online\).Affected if The file cddbcontrol.dll exists on the system.
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Check CLSID registrationQuery the Windows registry for CLSID {47B5E0D4-CC22-11D1-8C8D-0000C0885F94} under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\.Affected if The CLSID {47B5E0D4-CC22-11D1-8C8D-0000C0885F94} is registered in the Windows registry.
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Verify installed AOL versionCheck the installed AOL software version through the Windows registry (look under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\America Online\AOL or the program's version info) or by right-clicking the AOL executable and viewing Properties.Affected if The installed AOL version matches or falls within 7.0_4114.563, 8.0_4129.230, or 9.0.
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Confirm ActiveX is unsafe for scriptingExamine the registry key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{47B5E0D4-CC22-11D1-8C8D-0000C0885F94}\Implemented Categories\ for the presence of category {7DD95801-9882-11CF-9FA9-00AA006C42C4} (safe for scripting) or check the Component Categories entry.Affected if The ActiveX control is marked as safe for scripting without the killbit set (no entry for {7DD95801-9882-11CF-9FA9-00AA006C42C4} or similar safety flags preventing execution).
A system is affected if it has the CDDBControlAOL ActiveX control (cddbcontrol.dll) present with its CLSID registered, runs a vulnerable AOL version (7.0_4114.563, 8.0_4129.230, or 9.0), and the control is not blocked by a killbit.
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 dataApply the Microsoft killbit to disable the vulnerable CDDBControlAOL ActiveX control, or remove AOL software from affected systems. Use the CLSID {47B5E0D4-CC22-11D1-8C8D-0000C0885F94} to set the killbit via registry or use the Microsoft 'Fix it' solution.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2006-6442 — 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-2006-6442 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