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.net FrameworkApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2014-4073

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2014-10-15
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, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 processes unverified data during interaction with the ClickOnce installer, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges via vectors involving Internet Explorer, aka ".NET ClickOnce Elevation of Privilege 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

The Microsoft .NET Framework ClickOnce installer processes unverified data during interactions initiated through Internet Explorer, allowing remote attackers to elevate privileges. This is a client-side vulnerability affecting .NET Framework versions 2.0 SP2 through 4.5.2, where the lack of proper input validation in the ClickOnce deployment mechanism can be exploited to execute code with elevated permissions.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for CVE-2014-4073 to all affected .NET Framework installations, particularly on systems where users browse the web with Internet Explorer. Consider disabling ClickOnce if not required in the environment.

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= 4.5.1= 4.5.2

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
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/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. Identify installed .NET Framework version
    Open Command Prompt and run: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full" /v Version (for .NET 4.x) and reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v2.0" /v Version (for .NET 2.0/3.x). Alternatively, check Programs and Features for Microsoft .NET Framework entries.
    Affected if The installed version matches 2.0 SP2 or higher through 4.5.2, or appears as any of these versions: 2.0, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4.0, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2.
  2. Determine if ClickOnce is enabled
    Open Internet Explorer, go to Internet Options > Security > Custom Level, and scroll to the 'Launching applications and unsafe files' setting. Alternatively, check the registry at HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones\3\1806 or HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\ClickOnce for enabled state.
    Affected if ClickOnce is enabled (set to Prompt or Enable) in Internet Explorer security settings.
  3. Confirm presence of Internet Explorer
    Check if iexplore.exe exists in the system (typically at C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe or C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe) or verify IE is listed in installed programs.
    Affected if Internet Explorer is installed and available on the system.
  4. Check for recent security updates
    Open Control Panel > Programs > View installed updates and search for KB3010788 or security updates from October 2014. Alternatively, run: wmic qfe list | findstr /i "3010788"
    Affected if No security update matching KB3010788 (MS14-059) is installed.

A system is affected if it runs any .NET Framework version from 2.0 SP2 through 4.5.2, has ClickOnce enabled, and lacks the KB3010788 security update, particularly when Internet Explorer is present.

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

Apply Microsoft security updates for CVE-2014-4073 to all affected .NET Framework installations, particularly on systems where users browse the web with Internet Explorer. Consider disabling ClickOnce if not required in the environment.

Fix this in .net Framework Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
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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-2014-4073 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