Security readout for executives and security teams
This is an old browser-side code execution flaw in Microsoft’s MSN Heartbeat ActiveX control. A vulnerable Internet Explorer 5.01 through 6 user could be compromised after visiting affected MSN-associated online gaming content. Modern exposure is usually limited to legacy Windows and Internet Explorer environments. Most current enterprises should have low exposure unless they retain legacy Internet Explorer, old Windows images, or archived gaming kiosk environments with the MSN Heartbeat ActiveX control installed or enabled. Treat this as a legacy-technology risk. It is serious where present because it can lead to code execution, but business urgency depends on whether obsolete Internet Explorer and the MSN Heartbeat control still exist in the environment. Mitigation focus: Apply Microsoft MS04-038 guidance or later superseding Internet Explorer updates.; Retire Internet Explorer 5.01 through 6 from business environments.; Disable or remove the Hrtbeat.ocx ActiveX control where still present..
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
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Execution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2004-0978 mapping review
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Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- MS04-038CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_MS
- heartbeat-activex(17714)CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_XF
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.