CVE-2008-5073
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 · uneditedHeap-based buffer overflow in an ActiveX control in Novell ZENworks Desktop Management 6.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long argument to the CanUninstall method.
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 confidenceHeap-based buffer overflow in the CanUninstall method of a Novell ZENworks Desktop Management 6.5 ActiveX control allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by providing an overly long argument string.
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= 6.5CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify ZENworks Desktop Management versionCheck installed software for Novell ZENworks Desktop Management version 6.5. On Windows, check Add/Remove Programs or inspect registry keys under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Novell\ZENworks or HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Novell\ZENworks.Affected if The installed version is exactly 6.5 (build 6.5.x).
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Locate the vulnerable ActiveX controlSearch for the ActiveX control file (typically named something like zentools.dll, zenweb.exe, or similar ZENworks components) in the ZENworks installation directory, commonly found under C:\Program Files\Novell\ZENworks or C:\Novell\ZENworks.Affected if The ActiveX control DLL is present in the ZENworks installation directory.
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Check if ActiveX control is registeredQuery the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID for the ActiveX control CLSID (search for CLSIDs containing 'ZENworks' or 'CanUninstall'). Use reg query commands or a registry viewer.Affected if The ActiveX control is registered in the system registry, indicating it can be instantiated by Internet Explorer.
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Verify if the CanUninstall method existsUse a tool like OleView DOTNET or COM/OLE inspection tools to examine the type library of the ZENworks ActiveX control and confirm the presence of the CanUninstall method.Affected if The CanUninstall method is exposed by the ActiveX control and accessible for scripting.
A system is affected if Novell ZENworks Desktop Management version 6.5 is installed with the vulnerable ActiveX control registered and the CanUninstall method exposed to browser scripting contexts.
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 dataDisable or remove the vulnerable ActiveX control, or upgrade to a supported version of ZENworks if a patch is available; deploy compensating controls such as network segmentation and browser hardening to reduce attack surface.
- 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-2008-5073 — 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-2008-5073 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