CVE-2007-4901
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 embedded Internet Explorer server control in AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) 6.1.41.2 and 6.2.32.1, AIM Pro, and AIM Lite does not properly constrain the use of mshtml.dll's web script and HTML functionality for incoming instant messages, which allows remote attackers to place HTML into unexpected contexts or execute arbitrary code, as demonstrated by writing arbitrary HTML to a notification window, and writing contents of arbitrary local image files to this window via IMG SRC.
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 confidenceAIM embeds Internet Explorer (mshtml.dll) to render HTML content in instant messages. The application fails to properly constrain the embedded browser's script and HTML capabilities, allowing remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML/JavaScript into notification windows and read local file contents (like images) via IMG SRC tags. This enables cross-site scripting and local file disclosure attacks.
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 dataall versionsall versions= 6.2.32.1CVSS 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
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N
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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Verify AIM installation existsCheck for AIM installation directories such as C:\Program Files\AOL Instant Messenger or C:\Program Files\AIM, or look for aim.exe in common program directoriesAffected if AIM is installed on the system
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Identify installed AIM versionRight-click aim.exe, select Properties, then look at the Version tab to determine the exact version number, or run 'aim.exe -version' if supportedAffected if Version equals 6.2.32.1 for AOL Instant Messenger, or any version for AIM Lite or AIM Pro
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Confirm HTML message rendering is enabledOpen AIM preferences or settings and look for options related to HTML rendering in instant messages, such as 'Show HTML messages' or 'Render HTML in IMs'Affected if HTML rendering is enabled in AIM settings
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Check for mshtml.dll usageVerify that mshtml.dll is present in the AIM installation directory or system, as AIM uses this DLL to render HTML content in messagesAffected if mshtml.dll is present and being used by AIM for HTML rendering
A user is affected if they have AIM, AIM Lite, or AIM Pro installed with HTML rendering enabled, particularly if the version is 6.2.32.1 or any version of AIM Lite/Pro
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 dataUpdate to a patched version of AIM that properly sanitizes HTML content and restricts the embedded browser control's capabilities, or disable HTML rendering in instant messages if a patch is unavailable.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $4,960.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2007-4901 — 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-2007-4901 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