# CVE-2004-0475: Path traversal in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary local CHM files in Internet Explorer 6 via crafted URLs, requiring user interaction to trigger the exploit.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.1 (`AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **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 May 2004
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-624v-gqcq-xp7r

## What is CVE-2004-0475?

CVE-2004-0475 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Microsoft Ie, published on 20 May 2004. 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

The showHelp function in Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP Pro allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary local .CHM files via a double backward slash ("\\") before the target CHM file, as demonstrated using an "ms-its" URL to ntshared.chm.  NOTE: this bug may overlap CVE-2003-1041.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2004-0475?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Ie.

## How do I fix CVE-2004-0475?

No fix has been published for CVE-2004-0475 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2004-0475 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2004-0475 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Ie

- [CVE-2007-0217](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-0217/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2007-0219](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-0219/): Code injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-1186](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-1186/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2004-0985](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-0985/): Code injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2004-0216](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-0216/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2004-0475 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2004-0475 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Microsoft Ie, published on 20 May 2004. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2004-0475 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Ie. 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-2004-0475/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-0475/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-0475
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2004-0475
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2004-0475

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-0475/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.