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Windows NtOperating system · Microsoft

CVE-2008-1435

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-07-08
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
Windows Explorer in Microsoft Windows Vista up to SP1, and Server 2008, allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted saved-search (.search-ms) files that are not properly handled when saving, aka "Windows Saved Search 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 confidence

This is a code execution vulnerability in Windows Explorer where crafted saved-search files (.search-ms) are not properly handled during save operations. The vulnerability allows arbitrary code execution when a user opens a malicious .search-ms file.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS08-027 or migrate from affected Windows Vista and Server 2008 systems to supported versions, as these operating systems are end-of-life.

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
Windows NtOperating system
Affected:= 2008
Windows VistaOperating system
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. Identify Windows version
    Run 'winver' from the Start menu Run dialog or execute 'systeminfo' in Command Prompt and look at the OS Name and Version fields
    Affected if The operating system is Windows Vista (any version) or Windows Server 2008 (any edition)
  2. Verify saved-search file handler exists
    Check if .search-ms file association exists by searching for 'search-ms' in the Windows Registry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.search-ms or by attempting to locate a saved-search file on the system
    Affected if The .search-ms file extension handler is registered on the system, indicating the vulnerable feature is present
  3. Confirm Windows Explorer version
    Open Windows Explorer, click Help > About Windows Explorer and note the version number, or check the file version of explorer.exe located in C:\Windows\
    Affected if The Explorer version corresponds to a Vista or Server 2008 build and handles .search-ms files during save operations

A system is affected if it runs Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 and has the .search-ms saved-search file handler enabled, allowing malicious files to execute code during save operations.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security update MS08-027 or migrate from affected Windows Vista and Server 2008 systems to supported versions, as these operating systems are end-of-life.

Recommended fix High confidence

Windows Vista SP2 or Windows Server 2008 with latest security updates applied

  1. Apply Microsoft security update MS08-038, which addresses the Windows Saved Search (.search-ms) vulnerability. This update is available through Windows Update or the Microsoft Download Center.
  2. Alternatively, download the specific security update for your Windows version from the Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-038: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/bulletin/ms08-038
  3. Restart the system after applying the update to ensure the vulnerability is fully mitigated.
  4. Verify the update was successfully installed by checking the installed updates in Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates.
Caveat Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 are end-of-life; Microsoft no longer provides security updates for these systems. Upgrading to a supported Windows version is recommended.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Windows Nt Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2008-1435 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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