CVE-2008-0712
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 · uneditedUnspecified vulnerability in the HP HPeDiag (aka eSupportDiagnostics) ActiveX control in hpediag.dll in HP Software Update 4.000.009.002 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors. NOTE: this might overlap CVE-2007-6513.
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 · moderate confidenceHP HPeDiag ActiveX control (hpediag.dll) in HP Software Update 4.000.009.002 and earlier contains an unspecified vulnerability allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or obtain sensitive information. The vulnerability is exploitable via the ActiveX control, likely through malicious web pages or crafted content.
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<= 4.000.009.002CVSS 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.
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Check if HP Software Update is installedOpen Windows Control Panel and look for 'HP Software Update' in the list of installed programs, or search for 'hpediag.dll' in the Windows system directories (typically C:\Windows\System32\)Affected if HP Software Update is installed AND the hpediag.dll file exists on the system
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Determine the installed version of HP Software UpdateRight-click on HP Software Update in the Programs and Features list, select 'Properties', and note the version number shown. Alternatively, right-click the hpediag.dll file, select 'Properties', and check the 'File version' or 'Product version' field.Affected if The version number is 4.000.009.002 or earlier
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Verify the ActiveX control is present and registeredOpen Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Manage Add-ons, and look for 'HPeDiag' or 'hpediag.dll' in the list of ActiveX controls. Alternatively, check the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\Distribution Units\ for an entry containing 'hpediag' or look in HKCR\CLSID\ for the control's class identifier.Affected if The HPeDiag ActiveX control appears in the list of installed add-ons or registry entries exist for hpediag.dll
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Confirm browser ActiveX controls are enabledIn Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level and verify that 'Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe' is not set to 'Disable'Affected if ActiveX controls are enabled in the browser (not set to 'Disable' for unsigned controls)
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Check for recent HP Software Update usage or presenceReview installed software list in Programs and Features for any HP-related utilities, or check the HP Software Update installation directory if it exists (typically in C:\Program Files\HP\)Affected if HP Software Update version 4.000.009.002 or earlier is listed as installed
A system is affected if HP Software Update version 4.000.009.002 or earlier is installed AND the hpediag.dll ActiveX control is present on the system with ActiveX enabled in the browser.
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 HP Software Update to a version newer than 4.000.009.002, or disable/remove the vulnerable hpediag.dll ActiveX control if the software is no longer needed.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-0712 — 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-2008-0712 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