CVE-2008-5401
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 image tooltip implementation in Trillian before 3.1.12.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long image filename, related to "AIM IMG Tag Parsing."
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 Trillian's image tooltip handling when parsing AIM IMG tags. A remote attacker can send a specially crafted long image filename via the AIM protocol to trigger the overflow on the client and execute arbitrary code.
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<= 3.1.11.0= 0.50= 0.52= 0.60= 0.61= 0.62= 0.63= 0.70= 0.71= 0.72= 0.73= 0.74all versions= 1.0= 2.0= 2.01= 3.0= 3.1.5.0= 3.1_build_121all versions= 3.1.0.9= 3.1.9.0all versions= 3.1.9.0CVSS 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/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 Trillian is installedLook for Trillian executable on the system (commonly in Program Files folder or check Start Menu)Affected if Trillian is found installed on the system
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Determine installed Trillian versionCheck Trillian's version information (typically via Help > About or right-click on executable > Properties)Affected if Installed version matches one of the affected versions: <= 3.1.11.0, 0.50, 0.52, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.70, 0.71, 0.72, 0.73, 0.74, 1.0, 2.0, 2.01, 3.0, 3.1.5.0, 3.1_build_121, 3.1.0.9, 3.1.9.0, or falls under 'all versions' category for Cerulean Studios or Ceruleanstudios variants
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Confirm AIM protocol is enabledCheck Trillian account settings or protocol configuration to see if AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) account is configured and activeAffected if AIM protocol account is enabled or configured in Trillian
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Identify if using vulnerable Trillian variantCheck whether the installed product is Cerulean Studios Trillian, Cerulean Studios Trillian Pro, Ceruleanstudios Trillian, or Ceruleanstudios Trillian ProAffected if Any of these four product variants are installed with an affected version
User is affected if Trillian (any variant) is installed with a version matching the affected ranges AND the AIM protocol feature is in use, allowing receipt of maliciously crafted IMG tag messages.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpgrade Trillian to version 3.1.12.0 or later to obtain the patched binary.
Trillian 3.1.12.0 or later
- Check current Trillian version by opening the application and navigating to Help > About Trillian
- Download Trillian version 3.1.12.0 or later from the official Cerulean Studios website
- Back up your Trillian configuration and chat history (typically located in the Trillian application data folder)
- Uninstall the current version of Trillian through Windows Add/Remove Programs
- Install the newly downloaded version 3.1.12.0 or later
- Launch Trillian and verify the version in Help > About to confirm the upgrade was successful
- Restore your chat history and settings from the backup if needed
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-5401 — 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-2008-5401 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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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