Software Engineering Institute

Microsoft's DirectAnimation is a suite of development functionality, predating Microsoft DirectX, that provides animation support for Web applications and other software. This suite includes a number of COM objects and is provided by default with a number of versions of the Windows operating system.

An integer overflow vulnerability exists in the way the DirectAnimation.PathControl COM object (daxctle.ocx) handles an overly large argument supplied to the Spline method. This vulnerability could cause an invalid memory write, allowing a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service.

By convincing a user to view a specially crafted HTML document (e.g., a web page or an HTML email message or attachment), a remote unauthenticated attacker may be able to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user. The attacker could also cause Internet Explorer (or the program using the WebBrowser control) to crash.

Apply a patch from the vendor

Microsoft has published Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-067 in response to this issue. Users are encouraged to review this bulletin and apply the patches it refers to.

Workarounds

In addition to the patches referred to above, Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-067 also contains a number of workarounds for this issue. Users, particularly those who are unable to apply the patches are encouraged to implement these workarounds.