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GroupwareApplication · Handysoft

CVE-2020-7804

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-04-29
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable 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
ActiveX Control(HShell.dll) in Handy Groupware 1.7.3.1 for Windows 7, 8, and 10 allows an attacker to execute arbitrary command via the ShellExec method.

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 HShell.dll ActiveX control in Handy Groupware 1.7.3.1 contains a ShellExec method that can be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable Windows 7, 8, and 10 systems. This is a classic ActiveX command injection vulnerability where the control fails to properly validate or restrict the commands passed to the ShellExec method.

MitigationDisable the vulnerable HShell.dll ActiveX control in Internet Explorer and affected applications, or implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized execution. Contact the vendor for an official patch to properly restrict the ShellExec method.

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
GroupwareApplication
Affected:= 1.7.3.1

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
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify Handy Groupware installation and version
    Check the installed version of Handy Groupware on the system. Look in Program Files for the Handy Groupware installation directory and locate version information (such as in an About dialog, version.txt, or file properties of the main executable).
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 1.7.3.1 (as this is the only affected version listed)
  2. Locate the HShell.dll ActiveX control file
    Search for HShell.dll in the Handy Groupware installation directory. Common paths include the main program folder or a subfolder like "bin" or "modules". Use File Explorer search or command: dir /s C:\*HShell.dll (adjust drive letter as needed).
    Affected if HShell.dll exists on the system in the Handy Groupware installation directory
  3. Confirm ActiveX control registration in Windows Registry
    Open Registry Editor and check for the HShell.dll ActiveX control registration under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID. Look for a CLSID associated with HShell.dll (the control's class identifier). Also check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\Distribution Units for registered ActiveX controls.
    Affected if The HShell.dll ActiveX control is registered in the Windows Registry, making it available to Internet Explorer and other applications that host ActiveX controls
  4. Check if vulnerable application or browser can load the control
    Verify that Internet Explorer or other applications that use ActiveX controls are configured to allow this control to run. Check Internet Explorer settings under Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level for ActiveX controls, or examine the presence of related registry entries that mark the control as safe for scripting.
    Affected if Internet Explorer or other applications are configured to allow the HShell.dll ActiveX control to run (ActiveX controls are not set to Disabled or Prompt)
  5. Verify ShellExec method exists in the DLL
    Examine the exported functions of HShell.dll using a tool like dumpbin /exports or a PE viewer. Look for the ShellExec method among the DLL's exported functions.
    Affected if The ShellExec method is present and exposed by the HShell.dll ActiveX control

The environment is affected if Handy Groupware version 1.7.3.1 is installed with the HShell.dll ActiveX control present and registered, and the control is enabled in Internet Explorer or other hosting applications.

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

Disable the vulnerable HShell.dll ActiveX control in Internet Explorer and affected applications, or implement application whitelisting to block unauthorized execution. Contact the vendor for an official patch to properly restrict the ShellExec method.

Fix this in Groupware Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
27.0 hours of engineering $4,800
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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-2020-7804 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