search menu icon-carat-right cmu-wordmark

CERT Coordination Center

Particle Software IntraLaunch Application Launcher ActiveX control fails to restrict access to dangerous methods

Vulnerability Note VU#908801

Original Release Date: 2009-04-06 | Last Revised: 2016-08-12

Overview

The Particle Software IntraLaunch Application Launcher ActiveX control allows arbitrary code execution.

Description

Particle Software IntraLaunch is an ActiveX control that "... allows web page links to execute anything from applications to associations such as Word or Acrobat PDF documents both locally and across a network without prompts or security warnings." The IntraLaunch ActiveX control, which is provided by IntraLaunch.ocx, is marked Safe for Scripting and by default is not restricted to any specific domain or Internet Explorer zone. This means that any web site has the ability to run arbitrary code on a system that has the control.

Note that a vendor may purchase a site-locked version of the IntraLaunch control, but by default the control is not restricted.

Impact

By convincing a user to view a specially crafted HTML document (e.g., a web page or an HTML email message or attachment), an attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user.

Solution

We are currently unaware of a practical solution to this problem. Please consider the following workarounds:


Disable the IntraLaunch ActiveX control in Internet Explorer

The vulnerable ActiveX control can be disabled in Internet Explorer by setting the kill bit for the following CLSIDs:

{0AE533FE-B805-4FD6-8AE1-A619FBEE7A23}
{58FEBB79-70F5-48A6-9697-E91591DA3F8E}
{858B4F85-E945-4F0C-AF65-059E0AD9EEC0}
More information about how to set the kill bit is available in Microsoft Support Document 240797. Alternatively, the following text can be saved as a .REG file and imported to set the kill bit for this control:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ActiveX Compatibility\{0AE533FE-B805-4FD6-8AE1-A619FBEE7A23}]
"Compatibility Flags"=dword:00000400

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ActiveX Compatibility\{58FEBB79-70F5-48A6-9697-E91591DA3F8E}]
"Compatibility Flags"=dword:00000400

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ActiveX Compatibility\{858B4F85-E945-4F0C-AF65-059E0AD9EEC0}]
"Compatibility Flags"=dword:00000400
Disable ActiveX

Disabling ActiveX controls in the Internet Zone (or any zone used by an attacker) appears to prevent exploitation of this and other ActiveX vulnerabilities. Instructions for disabling ActiveX in the Internet Zone can be found in the "Securing Your Web Browser" document. 

Vendor Information

908801
 

CVSS Metrics

Group Score Vector
Base 0 AV:--/AC:--/Au:--/C:--/I:--/A:--
Temporal 0 E:ND/RL:ND/RC:ND
Environmental 0 CDP:ND/TD:ND/CR:ND/IR:ND/AR:ND

References

Acknowledgements

This vulnerability was reported by Will Dormann of the CERT/CC.

This document was written by Will Dormann.

Other Information

CVE IDs: CVE-2009-0218
Severity Metric: 9.62
Date Public: 1997-06-07
Date First Published: 2009-04-06
Date Last Updated: 2016-08-12 15:24 UTC
Document Revision: 17

Sponsored by CISA.