dbcve.org
Secure DesktopApplication · Cisco

CVE-2011-0926

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2011-02-25
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
A certain ActiveX control in CSDWebInstaller.ocx in Cisco Secure Desktop (CSD) does not properly verify the signature of an unspecified downloaded program, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by spoofing the CSD installation process, a different vulnerability than CVE-2010-0589.

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

The vulnerability exists in CSDWebInstaller.ocx, an ActiveX control in Cisco Secure Desktop. The control fails to properly verify digital signatures of downloaded programs, allowing remote attackers to spoof the CSD installation process and execute arbitrary code via a man-in-the-middle or spoofed download scenario.

MitigationApply the vendor patch from Cisco for Secure Desktop. If no patch is available, disable or remove the vulnerable ActiveX control (CSDWebInstaller.ocx) until a fix can be applied, as this is a client-side code execution vulnerability.

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
Secure DesktopApplication
Affected:all versions

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. Check if Cisco Secure Desktop is installed
    Look for Cisco Secure Desktop installation in Add/Remove Programs (appwiz.cpl) or check for its installation directory, typically under C:\Program Files\Cisco\Cisco Secure Desktop or C:\Program Files (x86)\Cisco\Cisco Secure Desktop
    Affected if Cisco Secure Desktop is installed (all versions are affected)
  2. Locate CSDWebInstaller.ocx file
    Search for the file CSDWebInstaller.ocx on the system using file search or command: dir /s C:\CSDWebInstaller.ocx
    Affected if The CSDWebInstaller.ocx file exists on the system
  3. Verify ActiveX control is registered
    Check Windows registry for the CLSID of CSDWebInstaller.ocx under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\Distribution Units\ or run: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\Distribution Units" /s | findstr CSDWebInstaller
    Affected if The ActiveX control is registered in the Windows registry
  4. Check if ActiveX control is enabled in Internet Explorer
    In Internet Explorer, go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level > ActiveX controls and plugins, or check registry under HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones for settings allowing this control
    Affected if ActiveX controls are allowed to run for this control without prompt

A system is affected if Cisco Secure Desktop is installed with the CSDWebInstaller.ocx ActiveX control present and enabled, since all versions of this product contain the vulnerability.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor patch from Cisco for Secure Desktop. If no patch is available, disable or remove the vulnerable ActiveX control (CSDWebInstaller.ocx) until a fix can be applied, as this is a client-side code execution vulnerability.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client (replacement product, no direct version-to-version upgrade)

  1. This vulnerability affects Cisco Secure Desktop (CSD) for which Cisco has released no public patch.
  2. Cisco Secure Desktop reached End-of-Life (EOL) and is no longer supported by Cisco.
  3. Migrate to Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client as the replacement for Cisco Secure Desktop.
  4. If continued use of Cisco Secure Desktop is absolutely required, disable the ActiveX control in Internet Explorer via registry or group policy, and restrict network access to trusted VPN gateway servers only.
Caveat Migration from CSD to AnyConnect may require new client software deployment, gateway reconfiguration, and license acquisition

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Secure Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2011-0926 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
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data