# CVE-2008-2841: Command injection in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary commands on Windows systems using XChat via a crafted ircs:// URI when Internet Explorer is used.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.8 (`AV:N/AC:M/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:** 24 Jun 2008
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-64rw-mj5q-w82v

## What is CVE-2008-2841?

CVE-2008-2841 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer, published on 24 Jun 2008. 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

Argument injection vulnerability in XChat 2.8.7b and earlier on Windows, when Internet Explorer is used, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via the --command parameter in an ircs:// URI.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-2841?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Xchat Xchat.

## How do I fix CVE-2008-2841?

No fix has been published for CVE-2008-2841 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2008-2841 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2008-2841 exists.

Public exploit code:

- XChat 2.8.7b - 'URI Handler' Remote Code Execution (Internet Explorer 6/7) (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-2008-2841 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2008-2841 is a medium-severity command injection vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Explorer, published on 24 Jun 2008. 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-2008-2841 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-2008-2841/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2841/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-2841
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-2841
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2008-2841

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2841/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.