CVE-2007-3902
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 · uneditedUse-after-free vulnerability in the CRecalcProperty function in mshtml.dll in Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 through 7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by calling the setExpression method and then modifying the outerHTML property of an HTML element, one variant of "Uninitialized Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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 confidenceUse-after-free vulnerability in CRecalcProperty function in mshtml.dll affecting Internet Explorer 5.01 through 7. Attackers achieve code execution by calling setExpression method then modifying the outerHTML property of an HTML element, causing uninitialized memory corruption.
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= 5.x= 6.0= 5= 5.01= 5.1= 5.2.3= 5.5= 6= 6.0= 6.0.2600= 6.0.2800= 6.0.2800.1106= 6.0.2900= 6.0.2900.2180CVSS 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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Check installed Internet Explorer versionOpen IE, click Help > About Internet Explorer, or run 'winver' command, or check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer in the registry for the Version valueAffected if Version is 5.01, 5.1, 5.2.3, 5.5, 6.0, or any 6.x version listed in the affected products (5.x through 7)
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Check mshtml.dll versionLocate mshtml.dll in the system (typically in C:\Windows\System32 or C:\Windows\SysWOW64), right-click > Properties > Details tab to view File VersionAffected if File version corresponds to an affected Internet Explorer version (mshtml.dll from IE 5.01 through 7)
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Verify setExpression method availabilityThe vulnerability requires the setExpression method which is an ActiveX/DHTML method. Check if scripting or ActiveX controls are enabled in IE security settings (Internet Options > Security > Custom Level)Affected if Active Scripting and ActiveX controls are enabled, allowing JavaScript execution and setExpression method calls
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Check for legacy IE installationsOn systems with multiple IE versions installed (common in Windows XP with IE6/IE7 coexistence), verify the default IE version and the mshtml.dll loaded by the browserAffected if Legacy IE versions (5.01, 5.5, 6.0) are present or set as default
You are affected if Internet Explorer version 5.01 through 7 is installed with mshtml.dll from the same version range, and ActiveX/scripting is enabled to permit the setExpression method call required to trigger the use-after-free.
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 Microsoft Security Bulletin MS07-069 (or subsequent cumulative IE security updates), or upgrade to a supported Internet Explorer version. Disable ActiveX and scripting as a defense-in-depth measure.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2007-3902 — 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-2007-3902 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
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