CVE-2006-3730 – This vulnerability allows remote attackers to e... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2006-3730?

CVE-2006-3730 has a CVSS score of 8.8 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems through an integer overflow in Internet Explorer's WebViewFolderIcon ActiveX object. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into visiting malicious websites, leading to potential system compromise. Users running Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP SP2 are primarily affected.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems through an integer overflow in Internet Explorer's WebViewFolderIcon ActiveX object. Attackers can exploit this by tricking users into visiting malicious websites, leading to potential system compromise. Users running Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP SP2 are primarily affected.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Versions: Version 6

Operating Systems: Windows XP Service Pack 2

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Requires ActiveX to be enabled (default in IE6). Only affects Windows XP SP2 with IE6.

📦 What is this software?

Ie by Microsoft

View all CVEs affecting Ie →

Internet Explorer by Microsoft

View all CVEs affecting Internet Explorer →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Full system compromise with remote code execution, allowing attackers to install malware, steal data, or create persistent backdoors.

🟠

Likely Case

System crash (denial of service) followed by potential malware installation if combined with social engineering to lure users to malicious sites.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper network segmentation, application whitelisting, and user education about suspicious websites.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: CONFIRMED

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Exploit code is publicly available and requires minimal user interaction (visiting malicious webpage).

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: MS06-042 security update

Vendor Advisory: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2006/ms06-042

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS06-042 patch. 2. Restart system. 3. Verify IE version is updated.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable ActiveX for Internet Zone

windows

Prevents WebViewFolderIcon ActiveX object from executing in Internet zone

Open Internet Options > Security tab > Internet zone > Custom Level > Set 'Initialize and script ActiveX controls not marked as safe' to Disable

Set Kill Bit for WebViewFolderIcon

windows

Prevents vulnerable ActiveX control from loading

Create registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ActiveX Compatibility\{e5df9d10-3b52-11d1-83e8-00a0c90dc849} with DWORD 'Compatibility Flags' = 0x400

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Upgrade to newer Windows/IE versions (Windows 7+ with IE8+ or modern browser)
Implement network segmentation to isolate vulnerable systems

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check IE version (Help > About Internet Explorer) and verify if MS06-042 patch is installed via Windows Update history

Check Version:

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer" /v Version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify MS06-042 appears in installed updates list and IE version shows post-patch build

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

IE crash logs with exception codes related to memory access violations
Windows Event Logs showing application crashes from iexplore.exe

Network Indicators:

HTTP traffic to suspicious domains with ActiveX object loading patterns
Unusual outbound connections following IE crashes

SIEM Query:

source="windows" AND (process="iexplore.exe" AND exception_code="0xC0000005") OR (event_id="1000" AND application_name="iexplore.exe")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2006-3730

CVSS v3 Score: 8.8 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-94

Published: July 21, 2006

Last Updated: February 25, 2026

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON

🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

If you're affected by CVE-2006-3730, you might also want to check these: