CVE-2008-5231
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 · uneditedStack-based buffer overflow in the ExecuteRequest method in the Novell iPrint ActiveX control in ienipp.ocx in Novell iPrint Client 5.06 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long target-frame option value, a different vulnerability than CVE-2008-2431.
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 confidenceStack-based buffer overflow in the ExecuteRequest method of the Novell iPrint ActiveX control (ienipp.ocx) in versions 5.06 and earlier. Remote attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution by submitting an excessively long target-frame option value to the vulnerable method.
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<= 5.04= 4.26= 4.27= 4.28= 4.30= 4.32= 4.34= 4.36= 4.38CVSS 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.
-
Locate the iPrint ActiveX control fileSearch for ienipp.ocx in the Windows system directory (typically C:\Windows\System32\) or use the command: dir /s C:\ienipp.ocxAffected if The file ienipp.ocx exists on the system, indicating the ActiveX control is installed
-
Check the file version of ienipp.ocxRight-click ienipp.ocx, select Properties, then view the Version tab to see the File Version, or run: powershell (Get-Item 'C:\Windows\System32\ienipp.ocx').VersionInfo.FileVersionAffected if The file version matches 5.06 or earlier, or specifically matches versions 4.26, 4.27, 4.28, 4.30, 4.32, 4.34, 4.36, 4.38, or any version up to and including 5.04
-
Check installed Novell iPrint client versionOpen Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, look for 'Novell iPrint' or similar, or check registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Novell\iPrintAffected if The installed iPrint client version is 5.04 or earlier, or is one of the specific affected versions (4.26, 4.27, 4.28, 4.30, 4.32, 4.34, 4.36, 4.38)
-
Verify the ActiveX control is registered in Internet ExplorerOpen Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Manage Add-ons, look for 'Novell iPrint' or 'ienipp.ocx' in the list of ActiveX controlsAffected if The Novell iPrint ActiveX control appears in the enabled add-ons list, meaning it can be invoked by malicious web pages
A user is affected if ienipp.ocx is present and its version is 5.06 or earlier (including specific versions 4.26, 4.27, 4.28, 4.30, 4.32, 4.34, 4.36, 4.38, or any version through 5.04) and the ActiveX control is 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 dataDisable the Novell iPrint ActiveX control in Internet Explorer and other affected browsers, or upgrade to a version newer than 5.06. Implement network-level restrictions to block external iPrint server connections until patching is complete.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 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 $3,648.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-5231 — 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-2008-5231 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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