CVE-2008-5526
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 · uneditedDrWeb Anti-virus 4.44.0.09170, when Internet Explorer 6 or 7 is used, allows remote attackers to bypass detection of malware in an HTML document by placing an MZ header (aka "EXE info") at the beginning, and modifying the filename to have (1) no extension, (2) a .txt extension, or (3) a .jpg extension, as demonstrated by a document containing a CVE-2006-5745 exploit.
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 · moderate confidenceDrWeb Anti-virus 4.44.0.09170 fails to properly detect malware embedded in HTML documents when the file contains an MZ header (EXE signature) at the beginning and uses certain filename extensions (.txt, .jpg, or no extension), allowing exploits like CVE-2006-5745 to bypass AV detection when Internet Explorer 6 or 7 accesses the malicious content.
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= 4.44.0.09170CVSS 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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Confirm DrWeb versionCheck the installed DrWeb Anti-virus version. In the DrWeb interface, navigate to 'About' or use the command-line: 'drweb --version' or check the program files version info. Look specifically for version 4.44.0.09170.Affected if The installed version is exactly 4.44.0.09170. This is the ONLY affected version listed for this CVE.
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Identify HTML files with unusual extensionsSearch for HTML files with .txt, .jpg extensions or files with no extension that may contain HTML content. Use file system search or check common download folders, email attachments directories, and web content caches.Affected if HTML files with .txt or .jpg extensions or HTML files with no extension exist in accessible locations and could contain embedded executable content.
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Check for MZ header presence in text/image filesUse a hex editor or command to inspect the first two bytes of suspicious files: 'xxd -l 2 <filename>' or 'head -c 2 <filename> | od -A n -t x1'. Look for '4d 5a' (MZ in hex).Affected if Files with .txt, .jpg, or no extension contain the MZ header (EXE signature '4d 5a' at byte offset 0), indicating embedded executable content that DrWeb may fail to detect.
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Verify AV real-time scanning is enabledCheck DrWeb's real-time protection settings to confirm the scanner is active and configured to scan incoming files, particularly for web traffic and email.Affected if Real-time scanning is enabled and the system accesses web content or downloads files, allowing malicious HTML with embedded executables to reach the system without detection.
You are affected only if DrWeb version 4.44.0.09170 is installed AND HTML files with .txt/.jpg/no extension containing MZ headers are processed by the system.
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 dataOrganizations should upgrade DrWeb to a patched version and consider implementing additional layers of security (network-based detection, updated browser versions, or alternative AV solutions) to compensate for signature-based detection bypasses.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-5526 — 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-2008-5526 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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