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UltravncApplication

CVE-2008-5001

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-11-10
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
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in multiple functions in vncviewer/FileTransfer.cpp in vncviewer for UltraVNC 1.0.2 and 1.0.4 before 01252008, when in LISTENING mode or when using the DSM plugin, allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via unspecified parameters, a different issue than CVE-2008-0610.

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

Multiple stack-based buffer overflows exist in FileTransfer.cpp in UltraVNC vncviewer versions 1.0.2 and 1.0.4 before January 25, 2008. When the viewer operates in LISTENING mode or uses the DSM plugin, remote attackers can send specially crafted parameters to trigger overflows, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution or denial of service.

MitigationUpgrade UltraVNC to version 1.0.4 dated 01252008 or later. As a compensating control, disable LISTENING mode and avoid DSM plugins until the upgrade can be applied.

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
UltravncApplication
Affected:= 1.0.2= 1.0.4

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 the installed UltraVNC vncviewer version
    Open the vncviewer executable, go to Help > About, or right-click the executable and select Properties to view the version information. If installed as a service, check the installed programs list or the program's folder for version details.
    Affected if The installed version is 1.0.2 or 1.0.4 (any build date before January 25, 2008)
  2. Determine if LISTENING mode is configured
    Launch vncviewer and observe if it starts in listen mode by default (typically indicated by a listening icon in the system tray or a listening port prompt). Check for any shortcut or batch file that launches vncviewer with the -listen parameter.
    Affected if LISTENING mode is enabled or the viewer is routinely launched in listen mode
  3. Check if DSM plugins are in use
    In the vncviewer interface, go to the DSM plugin configuration or settings area. Look for an active DSM plugin listed in the connection settings or the plugin directory contains loaded .dsm files.
    Affected if A DSM plugin is configured, loaded, or active for VNC connections

A system is affected if it runs UltraVNC vncviewer version 1.0.2 or 1.0.4 AND has LISTENING mode enabled or uses a DSM plugin, as both attack vectors require these configurations to be exploitable.

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

Upgrade UltraVNC to version 1.0.4 dated 01252008 or later. As a compensating control, disable LISTENING mode and avoid DSM plugins until the upgrade can be applied.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

UltraVNC 1.0.5 or later (any version released after January 25, 2008)

  1. 1. Uninstall the affected UltraVNC versions (1.0.2 or 1.0.4)
  2. 2. Download UltraVNC version 1.0.5 or later from the official SourceForge repository at https://sourceforge.net/projects/uvnc_vncv/
  3. 3. Verify the download using published checksums if available
  4. 4. Install the newer version, ensuring the vncviewer component is included
  5. 5. Avoid using LISTENING mode or verify DSM plugin is from a trusted source

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

Fix this in Ultravnc Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,040
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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-2008-5001 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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