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4.3

Outlook Express address book can crash Internet Explorer

CVE-2005-4840 · published 20 years ago
Summary

When a web page tricks Internet Explorer 6 into loading the Outlook Express address book component, the browser can stop working and close unexpectedly. This happens because the component is not meant to run inside the browser and can cause a crash. Updating the software or using a newer browser prevents the issue.

What to do

The CVE record does not list a fixed version. Check the vendor's site or the advisory links below - a fix may already be released.

Affected software
VendorProductAffected versions
microsoft outlook_express_book_control All versions
cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:outlook_express_book_control:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Original advisory text
The Outlook Express Address Book control, when using Internet Explorer 6, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL dereference and browser crash) by creating the OutlookExpress.Ad...
The Outlook Express Address Book control, when using Internet Explorer 6, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL dereference and browser crash) by creating the OutlookExpress.AddressBook COM object, which is not intended for use within Internet Explorer.
References
Fix within
Internet-facing 60 days
Internal At next upgrade
  • Not known to be exploited
  • Needs hands-on effort to exploit (estimated)
  • Gives an attacker partial control (estimated)
Severity
4.3 Medium
Exploitation
12% chance of attack within 30 days
Type
CWE-119Buffer Overflow
Timeline
Published31 Dec 2005
Updated19 Oct 2026
First seen29 Sep 2026
Sources
CVE-2005-4840 · NVD
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