CVE-2013-3918
The InformationCardSigninHelper Class ActiveX control in icardie.dll in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 Gold and R2, and Windows RT Gold and 8.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (out-of-bounds write) via a crafted web page that is accessed by Internet Explorer, as exploited in the wild in November 2013, aka "InformationCardSigninHelper Vulnerability."
do firstApply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Can a WAF block it? No. The vulnerability is triggered by visiting a crafted web page in Internet Explorer, but the exploit involves an out-of-bounds write in an ActiveX control, which looks like a normal web request to a WAF and does not contain unusual or filterable input patterns.
Also consider: patch
Based on an AI reading of the CVE description, and no vendor rule found yet. We check Cloudflare, AWS, Google Cloud Armor and Azure; for Akamai, Imperva, Fastly, F5, ask your vendor.
Is CVE-2013-3918 being exploited?
Yes. CVE-2013-3918 appears in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which means exploitation in the wild has been confirmed and reported. Treat it as active rather than theoretical, and patch it ahead of higher-scoring vulnerabilities that carry no exploitation evidence.
How severe is CVE-2013-3918?
CVE-2013-3918 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2013-3918?
Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2013-3918. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.
What does CVE-2013-3918 affect?
CVE-2013-3918 affects microsoft:windows_7, microsoft:windows_8, microsoft:windows_8.1, microsoft:windows_rt, and 6 further products or versions. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
public exploits
Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB · 1 Metasploit module
- Microsoft Internet Explorer - CardSpaceClaimCollection ActiveX Integer Underflow (MS13-090) (Metasploit) · remote · 27 Nov 2013 · verified
- exploit/windows/browser/ms13_090_cardspacesigninhelper · exploit · normal
Listed so you can judge urgency, not as a recommendation to run anything. GitHub “proofs of concept” are unvetted: some are fake or carry malware. Exploit-DB marks the entries its staff verified.
cisa ssvc
- exploitation
- active
- automatable
- no
- technical impact
- total
Assessed by CISA 4 Oct 2025 (SSVC 2.0.3).
timeline
- 12 Nov 2013Published
- 27 Nov 2013First public exploit or proof of concept · 14 days later
- 4 Oct 2025CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active · 4,329 days (about 12 years) later
- 6 Oct 2025Added to CISA KEV (exploited in the wild) · 2 days later
- 22 Oct 2025CVE record last updated · 16 days later
- 27 Oct 2025CISA remediation due date (US federal agencies) · 5 days later
- 2 Nov 2026Analysed by vulneraibility.com · 372 days (about 1 year) later
- Advisoryus-cert.gov /ncas/alerts/TA13-317A
- Advisorydocs.microsoft.com /en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2013/ms13-090
- Advisorymicrosoft.com /en-us/msrc/blog/2013/11/technical-details-of-the-targeted-attack-using-ie-vulne
- Linkdarkreading.com /vulnerability/new-ie-vulnerability-found-in-the-wild-s/240163814/
- Linkfireeye.com /blog/technical/2013/11/new-ie-zero-day-found-in-watering-hole-attack.html
- Linkoval.cisecurity.org /repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A19089
- Linkisc.sans.edu /forums/diary/16985
- Linkblogs.technet.com /b/msrc/archive/2013/11/11/activex-control-issue-being-addressed-in-update-tuesd
Show 1 more
- Linkcisa.gov /known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2013-3918
sources
- CVE List (CVE.org): description, affected versions, references; CVE Terms of Use
- NVD: CVSS and CPE data
- CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, due date
- CISA Vulnrichment (ADP): SSVC decision points
- FIRST EPSS: exploit probability and percentile
- Exploit-DB: published exploits
- Metasploit Framework: exploit and scanner modules
- Summary, impact and triage tags: written by our AI analysis pipeline from the sources above. Check them against the sources.