CVE-2018-5235
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 · uneditedNorton Utilities (prior to 16.0.3.44) may be susceptible to a DLL Preloading vulnerability, which is a type of issue that can occur when an application looks to call a DLL for execution and an attacker provides a malicious DLL to use instead. Depending on how the application is configured, it will generally follow a specific search path to locate the DLL. The vulnerability can be exploited by a simple file write (or potentially an over-write) which results in a foreign DLL running under the context of the application.
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 confidenceNorton Utilities prior to version 16.0.3.44 is vulnerable to DLL Preloading (also known as DLL Planting). The application searches for and loads dynamic link libraries from locations where an attacker with file system write access can place a malicious DLL. When the application executes, it loads the attacker-controlled DLL instead of the legitimate one, executing arbitrary code with the application's privilege level.
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< 16.0.3.44CVSS 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
- Physical
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:P/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 Norton Utilities installed version via registryOpen Windows Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\NortonUtilities or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Symantec\Norton Utilities. Locate the 'DisplayVersion' or 'Version' value.Affected if The displayed version is lower than 16.0.3.44 (e.g., 16.0.2.x, 16.0.1.x, or earlier)
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Check Norton Utilities version via program directoryOpen Program Files or Program Files (x86) and locate the Norton Utilities folder. Right-click the main executable (typically NortonUtilities.exe or similar), select Properties, and view the 'File version' or 'Product version' on the Details tab.Affected if The file version shown is earlier than 16.0.3.44
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Verify if Norton Utilities is installed and activeOpen Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'appwiz.cpl', and locate 'Norton Utilities' in the list of installed programs. Also check for Norton Utilities processes in Task Manager.Affected if Norton Utilities appears in the installed programs list with a version below 16.0.3.44, indicating the vulnerability applies
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Confirm DLL search behavior (optional context)This CVE exploits insecure DLL loading paths. While not directly configurable, the vulnerability exists in any environment where the affected Norton Utilities version runs, as the application itself contains the flaw.Affected if Norton Utilities version is below 16.0.3.44 - the application's code searches insecure paths for DLLs by default
You are affected if Norton Utilities is installed with any version prior to 16.0.3.44, as the DLL preloading vulnerability exists in those versions regardless of specific configuration.
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 data16.0.3.44
Upgrade Norton Utilities to version 16.0.3.44 or later. Additionally, implement secure DLL loading by using absolute paths, enabling safe DLL search mode, and validating DLL signatures before loading.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-5235 — 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-2018-5235 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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