CVE-2017-7908
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 · uneditedA heap-based buffer overflow exists in the third-party product Gigasoft, v5 and prior, included in GE Communicator 3.15 and prior. A malicious HTML file that loads the ActiveX controls can trigger the vulnerability via unchecked function calls.
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 · moderate confidenceA heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Gigasoft ActiveX controls (v5 and prior) bundled with GE Communicator 3.15 and prior. The vulnerability is triggered when a user visits a malicious HTML page that loads the ActiveX control and makes unchecked function calls, leading to potential code execution.
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<= 5<= 3.15CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
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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Check if Gigasoft ActiveX control is installedOpen Windows Registry and look for Gigasoft ActiveX control CLSIDs under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, or use the command 'reg query "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID" /s | findstr -i gigasoft' in an elevated command promptAffected if The ActiveX control CLSID entries exist in the registry, indicating the component is installed
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Determine the installed version of Gigasoft ProessentialsCheck the file version of the Gigasoft ActiveX DLL (typically named gsoaxc.dll or similar) in the installation directory, or right-click the DLL and select Properties > Details to view the File VersionAffected if The reported version is 5 or lower (the Details show "5" or a version number starting with 5.x or lower)
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Determine the installed version of GE CommunicatorOpen Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, locate "GE Communicator" in the list of installed programs, and note the version shown, or check the program's About dialog if accessibleAffected if The installed version is 3.15 or lower
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Verify if the ActiveX control is enabled in Internet ExplorerOpen Internet Explorer > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level, and scroll to "ActiveX controls and plugins" settings to confirm whether ActiveX controls are permitted or set to Prompt/EnableAffected if ActiveX controls are enabled or set to prompt, allowing the vulnerable control to execute in the browser context
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Inspect browser cache for suspicious HTML contentCheck temporary internet files locations (typically %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache or %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache) for any recently created HTML files containing object tags referencing the Gigasoft ActiveX CLSIDAffected if HTML files with embedded ActiveX object tags referencing the Gigasoft control are found in browser cache directories
The environment is affected if Gigasoft Proessentials version 5 or lower, or GE Communicator version 3.15 or lower, is installed with the ActiveX control present and ActiveX execution enabled in the browser.
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 dataDisable or remove the vulnerable Gigasoft ActiveX component if possible; otherwise, restrict user access to untrusted HTML content and ensure users do not browse untrusted websites while the affected software is in use.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-7908 — 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-2017-7908 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
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