# CVE-2003-0446: Cross-site scripting in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary web script in Internet Explorer by tricking users into opening a malformed XML file.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Jun 2003
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c35q-7hfm-3hxp

## What is CVE-2003-0446?

CVE-2003-0446 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer, published on 20 Jun 2003. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Cross-site scripting (XSS) in Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6.0, possibly in a component that is also used by other Microsoft products, allows remote attackers to insert arbitrary web script via an XML file that contains a parse error, which inserts the script in the resulting error message.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2003-0446?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Internet Explorer.

## How do I fix CVE-2003-0446?

No fix has been published for CVE-2003-0446 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2003-0446 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2003-0446 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Microsoft Internet Explorer 5/6 - MSXML XML File Parsing Cross-Site Scripting (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Internet Explorer

- [CVE-2014-1776](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-1776/): Microsoft Internet Explorer Memory Corruption (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2021-27085](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-27085/): Microsoft Internet Explorer Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-0222](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-0222/): Microsoft Internet Explorer Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-0210](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-0210/): Microsoft Internet Explorer Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2017-0149](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-0149/): Microsoft Internet Explorer Memory Corruption (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2003-0446 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2003-0446 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer, published on 20 Jun 2003. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2003-0446 exists.

Affected product: Microsoft Internet Explorer. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0446/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0446/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2003-0446
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2003-0446
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2003-0446

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0446/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.