CVE-2006-4221

Vulnerability

The IBM Access Support eGatherer ActiveX control (before version 3.20.0284.0) contains a stack-based buffer overflow in the RunEgatherer method when handling a long filename parameter. This control is available on IBM/Lenovo websites and may be pre-installed on systems [1].

Exploitation

An attacker can exploit this by convincing a user to view a specially crafted HTML document (web page or HTML email) that invokes the vulnerable ActiveX control with an overly long filename argument. No authentication is required; the attacker only needs to lure the user to the malicious content [1].

Impact

Successful exploitation allows the attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user. This could lead to full system compromise, including data theft, installation of malware, or further network propagation. The attacker could also cause Internet Explorer or the hosting application to crash [1].

Mitigation

The vulnerability is addressed in version 3.20.0284.0 of the eGatherer ActiveX control. Users should update to this version or later. Alternatively, the control can be disabled by setting the kill bit for CLSID {74FFE28D-2378-11D5-990C-006094235084}. Disabling ActiveX in the Internet Zone also prevents exploitation [1].