CVE-2006-5404 in Automated Support Assistant
Summary
by MITRE
Unspecified vulnerability in an ActiveX control used in Symantec Automated Support Assistant, as used in Norton AntiVirus, Internet Security, and System Works 2005 and 2006, allows user-assisted remote attackers to obtain sensitive information via unspecified vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/25/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2006-5404 resides within an ActiveX control component of Symantec's Automated Support Assistant technology, which was integrated into several flagship security products including Norton AntiVirus, Internet Security, and System Works 2005 and 2006. This particular flaw represents a critical information disclosure vulnerability that operates through an unspecified attack vector, making it particularly concerning for security professionals who must assess risks without complete technical details. The ActiveX control architecture presents inherent security risks due to its design for Windows environments where it can execute with elevated privileges when properly installed, creating potential attack surfaces that adversaries can exploit to gain unauthorized access to sensitive system information.
This vulnerability specifically allows user-assisted remote attackers to obtain sensitive information through unspecified vectors, suggesting that the attack requires some form of user interaction or cooperation from the target system. The unspecified nature of the attack vectors indicates that the vulnerability may manifest through multiple exploitation techniques, potentially including malformed input processing, improper access controls, or insecure data handling within the ActiveX control itself. The security implications extend beyond simple information disclosure as ActiveX controls often have broad system access capabilities, and such vulnerabilities can serve as stepping stones for more sophisticated attacks. This aligns with CWE-200, which categorizes improper information disclosure vulnerabilities that can lead to unauthorized information access.
The operational impact of CVE-2006-5404 is significant within enterprise and consumer environments that relied on Symantec's security suite, as the vulnerability could enable attackers to extract sensitive data from compromised systems. The user-assisted nature of the attack suggests that social engineering or targeted phishing campaigns might be required to successfully exploit the vulnerability, potentially leading to credential theft, system configuration information, or other sensitive data that could be leveraged for further attacks. Organizations using these security products were particularly vulnerable since the ActiveX control would typically be installed as part of the security suite installation process, making it a persistent component that could be exploited even after the initial compromise.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate removal of the affected ActiveX control from systems, as the vulnerability exists within the control's implementation rather than the broader security suite. System administrators should implement strict ActiveX control policies and disable unnecessary ActiveX components through group policies or registry modifications. The remediation process should also include comprehensive system scanning to identify any potential exploitation attempts and network monitoring to detect unusual data access patterns that might indicate information disclosure. Organizations should consider implementing the principle of least privilege for ActiveX controls and ensure that all system components are regularly updated with the latest security patches. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and proper input validation as outlined in the ATT&CK framework's defense evasion techniques, where adversaries often exploit such control-level vulnerabilities to maintain persistence and escalate privileges within compromised environments.