Vulnerability record · CVE-2008-3008 · published 11 September 2008
CVE-2008-3008: Windows Media Encoder ActiveX control stack buffer overflow
Microsoft · Windows Media Encoder
The WMEncProfileManager ActiveX control in wmex.dll, shipped with Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9 Series, contains a stack-based buffer overflow. A long first argument passed to the GetDetailsString method overflows a stack buffer, allowing remote code execution. The flaw matters because the control is reachable from a web page, so a browsing user can be attacked without any credentials.
Description
Stack-based buffer overflow in the WMEncProfileManager ActiveX control in wmex.dll in Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9 Series allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long first argument to the GetDetailsString method, aka "Windows Media Encoder Buffer Overrun Vulnerability."
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Automated analysis
high priorityThe flaw allows remote code execution with no authentication and has public exploit code plus a very high EPSS score, though it requires user interaction and affects an older product.
What it is
The WMEncProfileManager ActiveX control in wmex.dll, shipped with Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9 Series, contains a stack-based buffer overflow. A long first argument passed to the GetDetailsString method overflows a stack buffer, allowing remote code execution. The flaw matters because the control is reachable from a web page, so a browsing user can be attacked without any credentials.
Impact
An attacker who triggers the overflow can execute arbitrary code in the context of the user running the ActiveX control, giving full control of the affected system. This includes reading or modifying data, installing software, and creating accounts with full rights.
Attack surface
Reached over the network by hosting a malicious page or document that instantiates the WMEncProfileManager ActiveX control and calls GetDetailsString with an oversized first argument. No authentication is required, but the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:M/Au:N) indicates some user interaction, such as visiting the page or opening the file, is needed.
Exploitation
Not listed in CISA KEV and no ransomware association is documented, but public exploit code exists (Exploit-DB 6454) and EPSS is 0.54553 (98.9th percentile), indicating a high likelihood of exploitation activity.
What to do
- Apply Microsoft security bulletin MS08-053, which addresses this vulnerability in Windows Media Encoder 9 Series.
- If the patch cannot be applied immediately, disable or kill-bit the WMEncProfileManager ActiveX control in wmex.dll.
- Restrict or block the control from running in Internet Explorer and other applications that host ActiveX controls.
- Remove Windows Media Encoder 9 Series from systems that do not require it.
- Educate users not to open untrusted web pages or documents that may load ActiveX controls.
Detection
- Monitor for processes loading wmex.dll, especially when spawned by browsers or document readers.
- Look for crashes or exceptions in wmex.dll or the hosting process that correlate with visits to untrusted sites.
- Use application allowlisting or attack surface reduction rules to block untrusted ActiveX controls from executing.
- Review proxy and DNS logs for known exploit-hosting domains or URLs associated with CVE-2008-3008.
This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.
Affected products
5 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.
References
Track CVE-2008-3008 inside VULONE
Watch it alongside the ransomware crews, C2 infrastructure and forum chatter that reference it, query it through the API and pull it into your SIEM over TAXII.
Related vulnerabilities
Same products first, then exploited flaws of the same weakness class.
Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2008-3008), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-26). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.
