CVE-2008-0309
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 Symantec Decomposer, as used in certain Symantec antivirus products including Symantec Scan Engine 5.1.2 and other versions before 5.1.6.31, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via a malformed RAR file to the Internet Content Adaptation Protocol (ICAP) port (1344/tcp).
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 Symantec Decomposer allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service via malformed RAR files delivered to the ICAP port (1344/tcp). The vulnerability affects Symantec Scan Engine versions before 5.1.6.31.
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<= 5.1.4.24<= 3.0.12<= 4.3.16.39<= 4.3.16.39<= 4.3.16.39<= 4.3.16.39<= 4.3.16.39<= 4.3.16.39CVSS 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
- Partial
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Identify installed Symantec product and versionCheck the installed version of the Symantec product. For Scan Engine, this is typically available in the administration console or via registry at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Symantec\ScanEngine\Version. For other products, check the installed programs list or the specific product's version location.Affected if The installed version is <= 5.1.4.24 for Scan Engine, <= 4.3.16.39 for the Antivirus Scan Engine variants, or <= 3.0.12 for Antivirus Filtering Domino Mpe.
-
Verify ICAP service is enabled and listening on port 1344/tcpRun command: netstat -an | findstr :1344 or use telnet localhost 1344 to check if the ICAP service is listening. Also verify in the Scan Engine administration console under ICAP settings that the service is enabled.Affected if ICAP service is enabled and listening on port 1344/tcp, as this is the attack vector for delivering malformed RAR files.
-
Confirm RAR file decompression is enabled in the scannerCheck the Scan Engine or Antivirus configuration for file type filtering settings. Look for RAR archive decompression in the content filtering or decomposer settings. This is typically found in the administration console under Content > File Types or Decomposition settings.Affected if RAR file decompression is enabled, as the vulnerability exists in the Decomposer component that processes RAR files.
-
Check if the system accepts ICAP connections from untrusted sourcesReview firewall rules and ICAP access control settings to determine if port 1344/tcp is exposed to untrusted network segments. Use: netsh advfirewall firewall show rule name=all or review the ICAP allow/deny list in the scanner configuration.Affected if ICAP port 1344/tcp is accessible from untrusted network segments, allowing remote attackers to deliver malformed RAR files.
You are affected if your installed version falls within the affected ranges AND ICAP service on port 1344/tcp is enabled AND RAR decompression is active, allowing remote attackers to potentially execute code via malformed RAR files.
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 dataUpgrade to Symantec Scan Engine 5.1.6.31 or later to remediate this vulnerability; if immediate patching is not feasible, restrict access to ICAP port 1344/tcp from untrusted network segments.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-0309 — 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-2008-0309 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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