CVE-2015-1673
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 · uneditedThe Windows Forms (aka WinForms) libraries in Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 SP1, 2.0 SP2, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, and 4.5.2 allow user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted partial-trust application, aka "Windows Forms 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 confidenceWindows Forms (WinForms) libraries in multiple .NET Framework versions (1.1 SP1 through 4.5.2) contain an elevation of privilege vulnerability. A crafted partial-trust application can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
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= 1.1= 2.0= 3.5= 3.5.1= 4.0= 4.5= 4.5.1= 4.5.2CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed .NET Framework versionCheck the Windows Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP for version keys: v1.1.4322, v2.0.50727, v3.0, v3.5, v4\Client, or v4\Full. Use 'reg query' command or PowerShell Get-ItemProperty to retrieve the Version or Install value from each subkey.Affected if The installed version matches 1.1, 2.0, 3.5, 3.5.1, 4.0, 4.5, 4.5.1, or 4.5.2 (check the Version DWORD or Version string under each NDP subkey).
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Confirm WinForms usageSearch for compiled assemblies (.exe or .dll) that reference System.Windows.Forms.dll. Use PowerShell to scan application directories: Get-ChildItem -Path C:\YourApps -Recurse -Filter *.exe | ForEach-Object { [System.Reflection.AssemblyName]::GetAssemblyName($_.FullName).GetReferencedAssemblies() } | Where-Object { $_.Name -eq 'System.Windows.Forms' }. Alternatively, inspect the application manifest or binary metadata.Affected if Any application on the system uses WinForms libraries (System.Windows.Forms.dll).
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Verify partial-trust code execution environmentCheck if the system hosts or runs partial-trust applications, such as ClickOnce applications, XBAPs (XAML Browser Applications), or code running under partial trust from network locations. Review IIS configuration for trust levels and examine application hosting settings.Affected if The system runs untrusted or partially trusted code (e.g., applications loaded from network shares with reduced trust, ClickOnce deployments, or ASP.NET medium trust).
The system is affected if it has any .NET Framework version from 1.1 through 4.5.2 installed AND runs WinForms-based applications in a partial-trust environment hosting untrusted code.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataApply the relevant Microsoft security update (MS15-025) for the affected .NET Framework versions via Windows Update or Microsoft Download Center. Prioritize patching systems that run untrusted partial-trust code.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-1673 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-1673 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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