AOL <= 9.5 Phobos.Playlist 'Import()' Stack-Based Buffer Overflow
AOL versions up to and including 9.5 includes an ActiveX control (Phobos.dll) that exposes a method called Import() via the Phobos.Playlist COM object. This method is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow when provided with an excessively long string argument. Exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the user, but only when the malicious HTML file is opened locally, due to the control not being marked safe for scripting or initialization. AOL remains an active and supported brand offering services like AOL Mail and AOL Desktop Gold, but the legacy AOL 9.5 desktop software—specifically the version containing the vulnerable Phobos.dll ActiveX control—is long discontinued and no longer maintained.
- Published
- Aug 21, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.5% · 42th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-121
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Report tools
Action score
33
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 33 / 40 · 8.4 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.5%
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · VulnCheck
- 8.4
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
—
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (VulnCheck). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
AOL AOL
- up to and including 9.5 (Revision 4337.155)affected
Same product
aol: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2006-5820The LinkSBIcons method in the SuperBuddy ActiveX control (Sb.SuperBuddy.1) in America Online 9.0 Security Edition dereferences an arbitrary 40Plan
- CVE-2006-5501Buffer overflow in the AOL.PicDownloadCtrl.1 ActiveX control (YGPPicDownload.dll) 9.2.3.0 in America Online (AOL) 9.0 Security Edition allow31Monitor
- CVE-2006-5502Heap-based buffer overflow in the AOL.PicDownloadCtrl.1 ActiveX control (YGPPicDownload.dll) 9.2.3.0 in America Online (AOL) 9.0 Security Ed31Monitor
- CVE-2006-0948AOL 9.0 Security Edition revision 4184.2340, and probably other versions, uses insecure permissions (Everyone/Full Control) for the "America28Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Metasploit module ×1
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit module | exploit/windows/fileformat/aol_phobos_bofAOL 9.5 Phobos.Playlist Import() Stack-based Buffer Overflowexploit | 2010-01-20 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Metasploit-5693 d
- Published
- TodayOct 1, 2026+406 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
- Hellcode Researchfinder
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
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Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- A
- Scope
- X
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-121 · Stack-based Buffer OverflowCVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
- www.exploit-db.com/exploits/11190
- appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=20354
- raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/aol_phobos_bof.rb
- web.archive.org/web/20100804162117/http://www.rec-sec.com/2010/01/25/aol-playlist-class-buffer-overflow/
- www.broadcom.com/support/security-center/attacksignatures/detail?asid=26569
- www.exploit-db.com/exploits/11204
- www.fortiguard.com/encyclopedia/ips/32026/aol-phobos-dll-activex-control-import-buffer-overflow
- www.vulncheck.com/advisories/aol-phobos-playlist-import-stack-based-buffer-overflow
- www.exploit-db.com/exploits/11190
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.