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System Requirements LabApplication · Systemrequirementslab

CVE-2008-4385

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-10-14
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
Husdawg, LLC Systems Requirements Lab 3, as used by Instant Expert Analysis, allows remote attackers to force the download and execution of arbitrary programs via by specifiying a malicious website argument to the Init method in (1) a certain ActiveX control (sysreqlab2.cab, sysreqlab.dll, sysreqlabsli.dll, or sysreqlab2.dll) and (2) a certain Java applet in RLApplet.class in sysreqlab2.jar or sysreqlab.jar.

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

The Systems Requirements Lab 3 ActiveX control and Java applet contain an insecure Init method that accepts a website argument, allowing remote attackers to force the browser to download and execute arbitrary programs by specifying a malicious URL.

MitigationDisable the vulnerable ActiveX controls (sysreqlab2.cab, sysreqlab.dll, sysreqlabsli.dll, sysreqlab2.dll) via Internet Explorer kill bits and remove or block the Java applets (RLApplet.class in sysreqlab2.jar/sysreqlab.jar); consider removing the Instant Expert Analysis software if unnecessary.

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
System Requirements LabApplication
Affected:= 3

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. Verify if System Requirements Lab software is installed
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features (or Add/Remove Programs on older Windows), look for 'System Requirements Lab', 'SystemRequirementslab', or 'Instant Expert Analysis' in the installed programs list
    Affected if The software appears in the installed programs list
  2. Confirm the installed version is 3
    Right-click on the program entry in Programs and Features, select 'Change' or 'Properties', or check the version information for the installed software. Also check file version of sysreqlab.dll or sysreqlab2.dll in the installation directory (typically in C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files or C:\Program Files\System Requirements Lab)
    Affected if The installed version is 3.x (specifically version 3)
  3. Check for vulnerable ActiveX control files
    Navigate to C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files and look for: sysreqlab2.cab, sysreqlab.dll, sysreqlabsli.dll, or sysreqlab2.dll. Also check C:\Program Files\System Requirements Lab if that directory exists
    Affected if Any of these ActiveX control files (sysreqlab2.cab, sysreqlab.dll, sysreqlabsli.dll, sysreqlab2.dll) are present on the system
  4. Verify if the ActiveX control is registered and enabled in Internet Explorer
    Open Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Manage Add-ons, look for 'System Requirements Lab' or 'SystemRequirementslab' in the list of ActiveX controls. Also check the Windows registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\DOMSTORE\Disabled for entries containing the CLSIDs of these controls
    Affected if The ActiveX control appears enabled in Internet Explorer add-ons or is not blocked via kill bit in the registry
  5. Check for vulnerable Java applet files
    Search for sysreqlab2.jar or sysreqlab.jar files on the system, typically found in C:\Windows\Downloaded Program Files or the application installation directory. If found, verify if RLApplet.class exists inside these JAR files
    Affected if The Java applet files (sysreqlab2.jar or sysreqlab.jar containing RLApplet.class) are present on the system

A user is affected if System Requirements Lab version 3 is installed and the ActiveX controls (sysreqlab*.dll/cab) or Java applets (sysreqlab*.jar) are present and enabled in the browser.

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 the vulnerable ActiveX controls (sysreqlab2.cab, sysreqlab.dll, sysreqlabsli.dll, sysreqlab2.dll) via Internet Explorer kill bits and remove or block the Java applets (RLApplet.class in sysreqlab2.jar/sysreqlab.jar); consider removing the Instant Expert Analysis software if unnecessary.

Fix this in System Requirements Lab Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,820
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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-2008-4385 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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