CVE-2003-0838

Status: ModifiedHigh (7.5)—💥 Exploit

Internet Explorer allows remote attackers to bypass zone restrictions to inject and execute arbitrary programs by creating a popup window and inserting ActiveX object code with a "data" tag pointing to the malicious code, which Internet Explorer treats as HTML or Javascript, but later executes as an HTA application, a different vulnerability than CVE-2003-0532, and as exploited using the QHosts Trojan horse (aka Trojan.Qhosts, QHosts-1, VBS.QHOSTS, or aolfix.exe).

CVSS

Version: 2.0
Vector: AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Base score: 7.5

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 38%
Percentile among all scored CVEs: 99
Score date: 10/9/2026

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

💥 Public exploits

Exploit code or detection templates are publicly available. This is not the same as confirmed active exploitation (KEV), but it raises the risk: patch with priority.

Published on Exploit-DB · Microsoft Internet Explorer 5/6 - Browser Popup Window Object Type Validation (9/7/2003)

Affected technologies (2)

Microsoft — IE Microsoft — Internet Explorer

CWEs

NVD-CWE-Other

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show

{
  "id": "CVE-2003-0838",
  "cveTags": [],
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          "accessVector": "NETWORK",
          "vectorString": "AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P",
          "authentication": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "PARTIAL",
          "accessComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "PARTIAL",
          "confidentialityImpact": "PARTIAL"
        },
        "acInsufInfo": false,
        "impactScore": 6.4,
        "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
        "obtainAllPrivilege": false,
        "exploitabilityScore": 10,
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              "version": "n/a"
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  "published": "2003-11-17T05:00:00.000",
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      "lang": "en",
      "value": "Internet Explorer allows remote attackers to bypass zone restrictions to inject and execute arbitrary programs by creating a popup window and inserting ActiveX object code with a \"data\" tag pointing to the malicious code, which Internet Explorer treats as HTML or Javascript, but later executes as an HTA application, a different vulnerability than CVE-2003-0532, and as exploited using the QHosts Trojan horse (aka Trojan.Qhosts, QHosts-1, VBS.QHOSTS, or aolfix.exe)."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "Internet Explorer permite a atacantes remotos saltarse restricciones de zona para inyectar y ejecutar programas arbitrarios creando una ventana emergente e insertando un objeto ActiveX con una etiqueta \"data\" apuntando al código maliciosos, que Internet Explorer trata como HTML o JavaScript, pero luego ejecuta como una aplicación .HTA; una vulnerabilidad diferente de CAN-2003-0532, y explotada por el virus QHosts."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-16T22:03:03.250",
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}