Microsoft scriptlet.typlib ActiveX object unsafe for scripting from Internet Explorer

Overview

The ActiveX control “scriptlet.typlib” is incorrectly marked “safe for scripting” in Internet Explorer (IE) versions 4.0 and 5.0, when it is actually unsafe for scripting.

Description

There exists a vulnerability in the default installation of an ActiveX control named “scriptlet.typlib,” used by developers to create type libraries for Windows Script Components. This ActiveX control allows local files to be created or modified and thus is unsafe for scripting by IE. However, it is incorrectly marked “safe for scripting” in IE versions 4.0 and 5.0 for Windows.

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Impact

Any HTML document rendered in IE may call scriptlet.typlib and, without any warning displayed by IE, create or edit files with all permissions of the client user. Such attacks can occur when visiting unfriendly web sites, or rendering embedded HTML in email, newsgroup postings, or even server log entries.

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Solution

Install the appropriate patches available at:

<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS99-032.asp&gt;

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Disable ActiveX controls in IE.

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Vendor Information

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Microsoft Affected

Notified: August 21, 2001 Updated: November 17, 2001

Status

Affected

Vendor Statement

We have not received a statement from the vendor.

Vendor Information

The vendor has not provided us with any further information regarding this vulnerability.

Addendum

The CERT/CC has no additional comments at this time.

If you have feedback, comments, or additional information about this vulnerability, please send us [email](<mailto:[email protected]?Subject=VU%2312746 Feedback>).

CVSS Metrics

Group	Score	Vector
Base
Temporal
Environmental

References

• <http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/598&gt;
• <http://xforce.iss.net/static/3244.php&gt;
• <http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS99-032.asp&gt;
• <http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q240/3/08.asp&gt;
• <http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/bulletins/j-064.shtml&gt;
• <http://www.cert.org/reports/activeX_report.pdf&gt;

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Michael Kelfer for reporting this vulnerability.

This document was written by Shawn Van Ittersum.

Other Information

CVE IDs:	CVE-1999-0668
Severity Metric:	1.85 Date Public: