dbcve.org
AolmediaplaybackcontrolApplication · Aol

CVE-2007-6250

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-01-09
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Stack-based buffer overflow in AOL AOLMediaPlaybackControl (AOLMediaPlaybackControl.exe), as used by AmpX ActiveX control (AmpX.dll), might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via the AppendFileToPlayList method.

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

Stack-based buffer overflow in the AOL AOLMediaPlaybackControl ActiveX control (AmpX.dll). The AppendFileToPlayList method fails to properly validate input length before copying user-supplied data to a fixed-size stack buffer, allowing an attacker to overwrite return addresses and achieve arbitrary code execution.

MitigationDisable or remove the vulnerable AOLMediaPlaybackControl ActiveX control. Alternatively, implement input length validation on the AppendFileToPlayList method or deploy ActiveX kill bits to prevent the control from loading in browsers.

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
AolmediaplaybackcontrolApplication
Affected:all versions
AmpxApplication
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
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 checks

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

  1. Locate the AmpX.dll file on the system
    Search for AmpX.dll in common directories: %SystemRoot%\System32, %SystemRoot%\SysWOW64 (for 64-bit systems), and any AOL program directories. Use command: dir /s C:\AmpX.dll 2>nul or Get-ChildItem -Path C:\ -Filter AmpX.dll -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    Affected if The file AmpX.dll exists on the system, indicating the ActiveX control is installed
  2. Check if the AOLMediaPlaybackControl ActiveX control is registered
    Examine the Windows registry for ActiveX control registration under HKCR\CLSID\ and look for entries containing 'AOLMediaPlaybackControl' or 'AmpX'. Use reg query HKCR\CLSID /s /f 'AOLMediaPlaybackControl'
    Affected if The control has a registry entry under CLSID, meaning it is registered and available for instantiation by browsers or applications
  3. Verify if the control is marked as safe for scripting
    Check the registry key HKCR\CLSID\{CLSID}\Implemented Categories for 'Safe for Scripting' or inspect the component's registry settings for safety markers. Alternatively, check browser ActiveX allow/block lists
    Affected if The control is registered and marked as safe for scripting or allowed in browser settings, making it exploitable via web pages
  4. Check for AOL software installations that bundle this control
    Review installed programs for AOL-related software (AOL Navigator, AOL Desktop, AOL Media Player) which may include the vulnerable AmpX.dll component
    Affected if AOL software is installed that bundles the AOLMediaPlaybackControl ActiveX control
  5. Inspect browser add-ons or plugins for the vulnerable control
    In Internet Explorer, go to Manage Add-ons and look for 'AOLMediaPlaybackControl' or 'AmpX' in the list of ActiveX controls. For other browsers, check for installed plugins related to AOL media playback
    Affected if The vulnerable ActiveX control appears in the browser's list of allowed or installed add-ons

If AmpX.dll exists on the system and the AOLMediaPlaybackControl ActiveX control is registered and enabled (either as safe for scripting or allowed in browser settings), the environment is affected by CVE-2007-6250

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

Disable or remove the vulnerable AOLMediaPlaybackControl ActiveX control. Alternatively, implement input length validation on the AppendFileToPlayList method or deploy ActiveX kill bits to prevent the control from loading in browsers.

Fix this in Aolmediaplaybackcontrol Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2007-6250 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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