An ActiveX control is intended for use in a web browser, but it exposes dangerous methods that perform actions that are outside of the browser's security model (e.g. the zone or domain).
ActiveX controls can exercise far greater control over the operating system than typical Java or javascript. Exposed methods can be subject to various vulnerabilities, depending on the implemented behaviors of those methods, and whether input validation is performed on the provided arguments. If there is no integrity checking or origin validation, this method could be invoked by attackers.

Primary

Architecture and Design

Implementation

Other
Other

Automated Static Analysis
Automated static analysis, commonly referred to as Static Application Security Testing (SAST), can find some instances of this weakness by analyzing source code (or binary/compiled code) without having to execute it. Typically, this is done by building a model of data flow and control flow, then searching for potentially-vulnerable patterns that connect "sources" (origins of input) with "sinks" (destinations where the data interacts with external components, a lower layer such as the OS, etc.)
High

Implementation
If you must expose a method, make sure to perform input validation on all arguments, and protect against all possible vulnerabilities.

Architecture and Design
Use code signing, although this does not protect against any weaknesses that are already in the control.

Architecture and Design
System Configuration
Where possible, avoid marking the control as safe for scripting.

CVE-2007-1120
download a file to arbitrary folders.
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2007-1120

CVE-2006-6838
control downloads and executes a url in a parameter
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2006-6838

CVE-2007-0321
resultant buffer overflow
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2007-0321

Allowed
This CWE entry is at the Variant level of abstraction, which is a preferred level of abstraction for mapping to the root causes of vulnerabilities.
Carefully read both the name and description to ensure that this mapping is an appropriate fit. Do not try to 'force' a mapping to a lower-level Base/Variant simply to comply with this preferred level of abstraction.

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2007-05-07
Draft 6
2007-05-07

Eric Dalci
Cigital
2008-07-01
updated Time_of_Introduction

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2008-09-08
updated Relationships, Observed_Example, Other_Notes, Weakness_Ordinalities

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2008-10-14
updated Description

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2008-11-24
updated Relationships, Type

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2009-10-29
updated Description, Other_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2011-06-01
updated Common_Consequences

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2012-05-11
updated References, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2012-10-30
updated Potential_Mitigations

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2014-07-30
updated Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2017-11-08
updated References, Relationships

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-04-27
updated Detection_Factors, References, Relationships, Type

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2023-06-29
updated Mapping_Notes

CWE Content Team
MITRE
2025-12-11
4.19
2025-12-11
updated Applicable_Platforms