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.net FrameworkApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2013-3131

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-07-10
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
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, and 4.5, and Silverlight 5 before 5.1.20513.0, does not properly prevent changes to data in multidimensional arrays of structures, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a crafted .NET Framework application or (2) a crafted Silverlight application, aka "Array Access Violation Vulnerability."

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

This vulnerability in Microsoft .NET Framework and Silverlight allows arbitrary code execution due to improper handling of changes to data in multidimensional arrays of structures. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into running crafted .NET or Silverlight applications, potentially taking complete control of the affected system.

MitigationApply the appropriate Microsoft security updates for .NET Framework and Silverlight as specified in MS13-052 and MS13-053 security bulletins, or upgrade to patched versions.

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
.net FrameworkApplication
Affected:= 2.0= 3.5= 3.5.1= 4.0= 4.5
SilverlightApplication
Affected:= 5.0.60401.0= 5.0.60818.0= 5.0.61118.0= 5.1.10411.0= 5.1.20125.0

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. Check installed .NET Framework version
    Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v\Version (or use 'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP" /s /v Version' from command prompt). Identify all installed .NET Framework versions listed.
    Affected if The installed version matches any of these: 2.0, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4.0, or 4.5 (or falls within these version families).
  2. Check installed Silverlight version
    Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Silverlight\Version (or use 'reg query HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Silverlight /v Version'). Record the version number shown.
    Affected if The installed version matches any of these: 5.0.60401.0, 5.0.60818.0, 5.0.61118.0, 5.1.10411.0, or 5.1.20125.0.
  3. Verify if .NET runtime is actively used
    Check for applications that depend on .NET Framework by reviewing installed programs or examining common application directories. Also check if the .NET Runtime is enabled in Windows Features (Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off).
    Affected if The vulnerable .NET Framework version is installed AND .NET applications can be executed on the system.
  4. Verify if Silverlight browser plugin is present
    Check for Silverlight installation in Program Files\Microsoft Silverlight (or use 'reg query HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Silverlight' if the key exists). Also verify if browsers have the Silverlight plugin enabled.
    Affected if The vulnerable Silverlight version is installed AND the Silverlight browser plugin is enabled or used.

A system is affected if it has any vulnerable version of .NET Framework (2.0, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4.0, or 4.5) or Silverlight (5.0.60401.0 through 5.1.20125.0) installed and users can run .NET or Silverlight applications, even benign ones, as exploitation requires triggering the vulnerable array handling code path.

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 appropriate Microsoft security updates for .NET Framework and Silverlight as specified in MS13-052 and MS13-053 security bulletins, or upgrade to patched versions.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Microsoft .NET Framework: Apply corresponding MS13-052 security update for your version; Silverlight: Upgrade to version 5.1.20513.0 or later

  1. Check the current version of Microsoft .NET Framework installed by navigating to Windows Registry: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v\Full\Release
  2. Check the current Silverlight version by opening a command prompt and running: 'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\MozillaPlugins\@Microsoft.com/SilverlightPlugin'"
  3. For .NET Framework: Run Windows Update or manually download and install security updates from Microsoft Update Catalog for your specific version (2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4.0, or 4.5)
  4. For Silverlight: Download and install Silverlight version 5.1.20513.0 or later from the official Microsoft Download Center
  5. After installation, verify the updated version matches or exceeds the fixed release by re-checking the registry keys
  6. Restart any affected applications or services that utilize .NET Framework or Silverlight
Caveat Microsoft has ended support for Silverlight; consider migrating Silverlight applications to modern web technologies as Silverlight reached end-of-life in October 2021

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

Fix this in .net Framework Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2013-3131 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data