Access Support Activex ControlApplication · Ibm

CVE-2009-0215

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-03-25
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Stack-based buffer overflow in the GetXMLValue method in the IBM Access Support ActiveX control in IbmEgath.dll, as distributed on IBM and Lenovo computers, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.

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 confidence

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in the GetXMLValue method of the IBM Access Support ActiveX control (IbmEgath.dll). The flaw allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by overflowing a stack-based buffer through unspecified vectors in the XML value processing.

MitigationIdentify and remove or disable the vulnerable IbmEgath.dll ActiveX control on affected IBM and Lenovo systems. If the control is required for business operations, contact IBM/Lenovo for a patched version or implement network-level controls to block unauthenticated attackers from reaching the vulnerable component.

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
Access Support Activex ControlApplication
Affected:= 3.20.284.0

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Locate IbmEgath.dll on the system
    Search for IbmEgath.dll in Windows system directories. From an elevated command prompt, run: dir /s C:\IbmEgath.dll 2>nul or use Windows Search. Common locations include System32, SysWOW64, or program folders for IBM/Lenovo software.
    Affected if The file IbmEgath.dll exists on the system.
  2. Verify the file version of IbmEgath.dll
    Right-click the IbmEgath.dll file, select Properties, and check the File Version field on the Details tab. Record the exact version number shown.
    Affected if The file version is exactly 3.20.284.0.
  3. Check if the ActiveX control is registered
    Open the Windows Registry Editor and search for IbmEgath under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, or look for the CLSID of the IBM Access Support ActiveX control in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID. The control is registered if a corresponding entry exists.
    Affected if The IbmEgath.dll ActiveX control is registered in the Windows registry.
  4. Confirm the GetXMLValue method is present
    Use a tool like OLEVIEW or dumpbin to inspect the exported functions of IbmEgath.dll. Verify that the GetXMLValue method exists in the control's interface.
    Affected if The GetXMLValue method is exposed by the installed ActiveX control.

If IbmEgath.dll version 3.20.284.0 is present and the ActiveX control is registered on the system, the environment is affected by CVE-2009-0215.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Identify and remove or disable the vulnerable IbmEgath.dll ActiveX control on affected IBM and Lenovo systems. If the control is required for business operations, contact IBM/Lenovo for a patched version or implement network-level controls to block unauthenticated attackers from reaching the vulnerable component.

Fix this in Access Support Activex Control Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2009-0215 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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