CVE-2004-1043

Status: ModifiedMedium (5)—💥 Exploit

Internet Explorer 6.0 on Windows XP SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by using the "Related Topics" command in the Help ActiveX Control (hhctrl.ocx) to open a Help popup window containing the PCHealth tools.htm file in the local zone and injecting Javascript to be executed, as demonstrated using "writehta.txt" and the ADODB recordset, which saves a .HTA file to the local system, aka the "HTML Help ActiveX control Cross Domain Vulnerability."

CVSS

Version: 2.0
Vector: AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
Base score: 5

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 45%
Percentile among all scored CVEs: 99
Score date: 10/8/2026

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 (Windows XP SP2) - HTML Help Control Local Zone Bypass (12/25/2004)

Affected technologies (2)

Microsoft — Internet Explorer Microsoft — Windows XP

CWEs

NVD-CWE-Other

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show

{
  "id": "CVE-2004-1043",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV2": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "2.0",
          "baseScore": 5,
          "accessVector": "NETWORK",
          "vectorString": "AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N",
          "authentication": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "PARTIAL",
          "accessComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "NONE",
          "confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
        },
        "acInsufInfo": false,
        "impactScore": 2.9,
        "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
        "obtainAllPrivilege": false,
        "exploitabilityScore": 10,
        "obtainUserPrivilege": false,
        "obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
        "userInteractionRequired": false
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "cve@mitre.org",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "n/a",
          "product": "n/a",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "n/a"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2004-12-31T05:00:00.000",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2004-12/0426.html",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/972415",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "US Government Resource"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA05-012B.html",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "US Government Resource"
      ],
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2005/ms05-001",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/18311",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1349",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1963",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A2830",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A3496",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/bugtraq/2004-12/0426.html",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/972415",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "US Government Resource"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA05-012B.html",
      "tags": [
        "Third Party Advisory",
        "US Government Resource"
      ],
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2005/ms05-001",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/18311",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1349",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A1963",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A2830",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A3496",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Primary",
      "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "NVD-CWE-Other"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "Internet Explorer 6.0 on Windows XP SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by using the \"Related Topics\" command in the Help ActiveX Control (hhctrl.ocx) to open a Help popup window containing the PCHealth tools.htm file in the local zone and injecting Javascript to be executed, as demonstrated using \"writehta.txt\" and the ADODB recordset, which saves a .HTA file to the local system, aka the \"HTML Help ActiveX control Cross Domain Vulnerability.\""
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-16T22:06:54.360",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:internet_explorer:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "A19F6133-25D1-44A5-B6B9-354703436783"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:sp2:tablet_pc:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "FB2BE2DE-7B06-47ED-A674-15D45448F357"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sourceIdentifier": "cve@mitre.org"
}