CVE-2019-12805
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 · uneditedNCSOFT Game Launcher, NC Launcher2 2.4.1.691 and earlier versions have a vulnerability in the custom protocol handler that could allow remote attacker to execute arbitrary command. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious web page. This can be leveraged for code execution in the context of the current user.
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 confidenceNCSOFT Game Launcher (NC Launcher2) versions 2.4.1.691 and earlier contain a vulnerability in their custom protocol handler registration. The protocol handler does not properly sanitize input, allowing remote attackers to inject and execute arbitrary commands by tricking users into visiting malicious web pages that invoke the custom protocol (e.g., nc:// or similar). Code execution occurs in the context of the current user.
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<= 2.4.1.691CVSS 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
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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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Locate NC Launcher2 installationSearch for ncLauncher2.exe or the NC Launcher2 installation directory, typically in Program Files or Program Files (x86) folder. Check Start Menu shortcuts and uninstall registry entries for 'NC Launcher2' or 'Ncsoft'.Affected if NC Launcher2 is not installed on the system.
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Determine installed versionRight-click on ncLauncher2.exe, select Properties, and view the File Version on the Details tab. Alternatively, check the version in Add or Remove Programs or the registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for NC Launcher2.Affected if The reported version is 2.4.1.691 or earlier.
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Verify custom protocol handler registrationOpen Windows Registry Editor and navigate to HKCU\Software\Classes\ (for current user) or HKLM\Software\Classes\ (for local machine) and look for a key named 'nc' (representing the nc:// protocol handler). Also check HKCU\Software\Classes\nc or HKLM\Software\Classes\nc for a URL Protocol string value.Affected if A registry key for the 'nc' protocol handler exists and contains command execution references.
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Confirm protocol is reachable from web browsersAttempt to access a page in a web browser that invokes nc:// followed by arbitrary parameters (e.g., nc://anything). Check if the launcher attempts to handle the protocol rather than displaying an error.Affected if The browser successfully invokes NC Launcher2 through the custom protocol, indicating the handler is active and could process malicious URLs.
A user is affected if NC Launcher2 version 2.4.1.691 or earlier is installed AND the custom protocol handler (nc://) is registered on the system, allowing potential command injection via malicious web pages.
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 dataUpgrade to NC Launcher2 version newer than 2.4.1.691. Until patched, warn users to avoid clicking untrusted links and consider disabling the custom protocol handler via registry if possible.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-12805 — 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-2019-12805 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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