# CVE-2007-4890: Path traversal in n/a

> Remote attackers can create or overwrite arbitrary files via path traversal in a Visual Studio ActiveX control, requiring user interaction.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.8 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/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:** 14 Sep 2007
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-9q4p-wv38-76g5

## What is CVE-2007-4890?

CVE-2007-4890 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio, published on 14 Sep 2007. 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

Absolute directory traversal vulnerability in a certain ActiveX control in the VB To VSI Support Library (VBTOVSI.DLL) 1.0.0.0 in Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 allows remote attackers to create or overwrite arbitrary files via a full pathname in the argument to the SaveAs method.  NOTE: contents can be copied from local files via the Load method.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2007-4890?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Visual Studio.

## How do I fix CVE-2007-4890?

No fix has been published for CVE-2007-4890 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2007-4890 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2007-4890 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 - 'VBTOVSI.dll 1.0.0.0' File Overwrite (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Visual Studio

- [CVE-2025-49739](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49739/): Visual Studio Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-35777](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35777/): Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-35825](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35825/): Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-35826](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35826/): Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2022-35827](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35827/): Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2007-4890 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2007-4890 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio, published on 14 Sep 2007. 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-2007-4890 exists.

Affected product: Microsoft Visual Studio. 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-2007-4890/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-4890/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2007-4890
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2007-4890
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2007-4890

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-4890/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.