CVE-2008-5403
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 the XML parser in the AIM plugin in Trillian before 3.1.12.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed XML tag.
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 vulnerability in the XML parser of the AIM plugin in Trillian versions prior to 3.1.12.0. The vulnerability is triggered by malformed XML tags, allowing remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via specially crafted XML data.
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= 0.50= 0.52= 0.60= 0.61= 0.62= 0.63= 0.70= 0.71= 0.72= 0.73= 0.74= 0.74call 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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Find installed Trillian versionOpen Trillian, go to Help > About Trillian, or right-click the Trillian icon and select 'About'. Alternatively, locate the Trillian executable (trillian.exe) in the program files directory, right-click it, select Properties, and check the Version tab.Affected if The version displayed is before 3.1.12.0, or if the version matches one of the affected versions listed (0.50, 0.52, 0.60, 0.61, 0.62, 0.63, 0.70, 0.71, 0.72, 0.73, 0.74, 0.74c, 1.0, 2.0, 2.01, 3.0, 3.1.5.0, 3.1_build_121, 3.1.0.9, or 3.1.9.0).
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Verify AIM connection capabilityAttempt to connect using an AIM account through Trillian, or check the AIM account status in the account settings. The vulnerability is triggered when the XML parser processes incoming AIM data.Affected if You can connect to AIM or have an AIM account configured and active in Trillian.
You are affected if Trillian version is before 3.1.12.0 AND the AIM plugin is enabled and used to connect to AIM, because the heap overflow occurs in the AIM plugin's XML parser when processing malicious XML data.
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, which contains the patched XML parser. If upgrading is not feasible, disable the AIM plugin until the upgrade can be performed.
Trillian 3.1.12.0 or later
- 1. Obtain Trillian version 3.1.12.0 or later from official sources or trusted archives
- 2. Uninstall the current version of Trillian (any version before 3.1.12.0)
- 3. Install Trillian 3.1.12.0 or the latest available version
- 4. Verify the installation by checking Help > About Trillian to confirm the version number
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-5403 — 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-2008-5403 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
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