Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:LCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2013-7331 is a medium-severity Generation of Error Message Containing Sensitive Information (CWE-209) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Its CVSS base score is 6.5 (Medium).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Protocol or Service Impersonation (T1001.003); ranked in the top 1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The Microsoft.XMLDOM ActiveX control in Microsoft Windows 8.1 and earlier versions is vulnerable to information disclosure tracked as CVE-2013-7331 and CWE-209. Remote attackers can supply specially crafted res:// URLs that trigger distinguishable error codes, revealing the existence or non-existence of local filesystem paths, UNC share paths, intranet hostnames, and intranet IP addresses without requiring authentication.
An attacker can embed such URLs in web content delivered to a victim browser, then inspect the resulting error responses to map internal resources on the target system or network. This enables reconnaissance that supports further targeted attacks, such as identifying files for subsequent exploitation or confirming the presence of specific intranet hosts.
Microsoft addressed the issue in security bulletin MS14-052, while additional details and indicators appear in CERT VU#539289 and related vendor advisories. The vulnerability was exploited in the wild in February 2014 during Operation Snowman, which compromised the US Veterans of Foreign Wars website to deliver DeputyDog malware.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2013-7105
Vulnerability Data
The Microsoft.XMLDOM ActiveX control in Microsoft Windows 8.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to determine the existence of local pathnames, UNC share pathnames, intranet hostnames, and intranet IP addresses by examining error codes, as demonstrated by a res:// URL, and…
more
exploited in the wild in February 2014.
- CWE(s)
- KEV Date Added
- 25 May 2022
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V16.5.1
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Detects error messages that leak sensitive information as evidence of disclosure.
The control directly mitigates generation of error messages containing sensitive authentication details by requiring obscured feedback instead of verbose responses.
Misdirection allows generation of misleading error messages that withhold or falsify sensitive details.
Explicitly requires error messages to avoid including sensitive or exploitable details while still supporting corrective action.
Validation ensures error messages contain only expected, non-sensitive content and blocks leakage via verbose errors.
Fail-safe procedures can be defined to suppress or sanitize error output, reducing generation of messages that contain sensitive information.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly require sanitized error handling to prevent sensitive data disclosure.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.