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SafeguardApplication · Avg

CVE-2014-2956

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-07-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 18.1.7 or later.
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
ScriptHelperApi in the AVG ScriptHelper ActiveX control in ScriptHelper.exe in AVG Secure Search toolbar before 18.1.7.598 and AVG Safeguard before 18.1.7.644 does not implement domain-based access control for method calls, which allows remote attackers to trigger the downloading and execution of arbitrary programs via a crafted web site.

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 AVG ScriptHelper ActiveX control lacks domain-based access control, allowing any webpage to invoke its methods via the ScriptHelperApi interface. This enables remote attackers to force the download and execution of arbitrary programs through crafted websites.

MitigationUpdate AVG Secure Search toolbar to version 18.1.7.598 or later and AVG Safeguard to version 18.1.7.644 or later to obtain the patched ActiveX control with proper domain-based access restrictions.

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
SafeguardApplication
Affected:<= 18.1.7
Secure Search ToolbarApplication
Affected:<= 18.1.7

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 AVG Safeguard or AVG Secure Search Toolbar is installed
    Open Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl) or check for AVG-related entries in Add/Remove Programs. Look for 'AVG Safeguard' or 'AVG Secure Search Toolbar' in the installed programs list.
    Affected if Either AVG Safeguard or AVG Secure Search Toolbar appears in the installed programs list
  2. Check the installed version of AVG Safeguard
    In Programs and Features, locate 'AVG Safeguard' and note the version number displayed in the Version column. Alternatively, right-click the program entry and select Properties to view version details.
    Affected if The displayed version is 18.1.7 or earlier (any version <= 18.1.7)
  3. Check the installed version of AVG Secure Search Toolbar
    In Programs and Features, locate 'AVG Secure Search Toolbar' and note the version number displayed in the Version column. Alternatively, check the program's Properties for version information.
    Affected if The displayed version is 18.1.7 or earlier (any version <= 18.1.7)
  4. Check for the ScriptHelper ActiveX control registration
    Open the Windows Registry Editor (regedit) and navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID. Search for 'ScriptHelper' or 'AvgScriptHelper' to locate the ActiveX control's CLSID registration. Also check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID for machine-wide registration.
    Affected if A ScriptHelper ActiveX control CLSID is registered on the system

A user is affected if AVG Safeguard or AVG Secure Search Toolbar version 18.1.7 or earlier is installed, which includes the vulnerable ScriptHelper ActiveX control.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 18.1.7
Interim mitigation

Update AVG Secure Search toolbar to version 18.1.7.598 or later and AVG Safeguard to version 18.1.7.644 or later to obtain the patched ActiveX control with proper domain-based access restrictions.

Recommended fix High confidence

AVG Secure Search Toolbar 18.1.7.598+ / AVG Safeguard 18.1.7.644+ (or latest current version)

  1. 1. Identify the installed AVG Secure Search Toolbar version by opening the extension manager in your browser or checking the installed programs list in Windows Control Panel
  2. 2. Identify the installed AVG Safeguard version through Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features
  3. 3. For AVG Secure Search Toolbar: Upgrade to version 18.1.7.598 or later
  4. 4. For AVG Safeguard: Upgrade to version 18.1.7.644 or later
  5. 5. Alternatively, download and install the latest version of AVG Secure Search from the official AVG website to ensure all security patches are applied
  6. 6. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the installed version numbers match or exceed the fixed versions
Caveat Minor: Ensure browser compatibility with the updated toolbar version

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

Fix this in Safeguard Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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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-2014-2956 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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