CVE-2008-2431: Novell iPrint Client ActiveX control buffer overflows allow remote code execution

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 20 September 2026. Confidence: high.

high priorityRemote unauthenticated code execution with a CVSS 2.0 score of 9.3 and a 98.9th percentile EPSS score, tempered only by the required user interaction and the age of the flaw.

What it is

Novell iPrint Client before 5.06 contains multiple buffer overflows in the ienipp.ocx ActiveX control and nipplib.dll. Fourteen distinct methods accept oversized arguments that overflow memory buffers, and a remote attacker can trigger them to run arbitrary code. The flaw matters because the control is reachable from a web page and the vendor has shipped a fixed version.

Impact

An attacker who triggers one of the overflows gains arbitrary code execution in the context of the user who loaded the page, giving full control of confidentiality, integrity and availability on that host.

Attack surface

The vector is network-reachable (AV:N) with no authentication (Au:N) but requires medium attack complexity (AC:M), consistent with luring a user to a page that instantiates the ienipp.ocx ActiveX control. User interaction is implied by the ActiveX delivery model, though the record does not state it explicitly.

Exploitation

The record is not listed in CISA KEV and no ransomware use is documented, but EPSS is 0.51053 (98.9th percentile), indicating a high modeled likelihood of exploitation. References are vendor advisories and third-party trackers only, with no public exploit tag.

What to do

• Upgrade Novell iPrint Client to 5.06 or later, which the description identifies as the fixed version.
• Disable or remove the ienipp.ocx ActiveX control where iPrint is not required, and restrict its allowed sites.
• Enforce kill bits or blocklist the iPrint ActiveX control in browsers and via Group Policy.
• Limit browsing to trusted sites and block untrusted ActiveX downloads on hosts that must keep iPrint.
• Monitor vendor advisories for any later iPrint Client fixes beyond 5.06.

Detection

• Alert on browser or process loads of ienipp.ocx, especially from non-corporate origins.
• Hunt for crashes or abnormal terminations in processes hosting ienipp.ocx or nipplib.dll.
• Monitor for suspicious child processes spawned by browser or iPrint client processes.
• Review proxy and web logs for pages that reference the iPrint ActiveX control from untrusted hosts.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.