CVE-2003-0230
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedMicrosoft SQL Server 7, 2000, and MSDE allows local users to gain privileges by hijacking a named pipe during the authentication of another user, aka the "Named Pipe Hijacking" vulnerability.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server 7, 2000, and MSDE where an attacker with local system access can hijack a named pipe during the authentication process of another user, allowing impersonation and privilege escalation to the security context of the intercepted connection.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 1.0= 7.0= 2000CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify SQL Server versionOpen SQL Server Enterprise Manager or query SELECT @@VERSION from any database connection. Alternatively, check Add/Remove Programs for 'Microsoft SQL Server' or 'Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE)' entries.Affected if The installed version is SQL Server 7.0, SQL Server 2000, or MSDE 1.0 (any build within these versions).
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Verify named pipe protocol is enabledOpen SQL Server Client Network Utility (cnnfgnt.exe), go to the 'General' tab, and check if 'Named Pipes' protocol is enabled. Alternatively, check the server's network configuration in Enterprise Manager under Server Network Utility.Affected if Named Pipes protocol is enabled and listed as an available protocol on the server.
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Confirm SQL Server service accountOpen Services console (services.msc), locate the SQL Server service (MSSQLSERVER for default instance), right-click and view Properties, check the 'Log On' account field.Affected if The service runs under Local System account (NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM) rather than a dedicated low-privilege domain or local service account.
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Check for missing security updateReview installed Windows updates or check the Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-031 status. In Registry, examine HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for security update entries referencing SQL Server post-service-pack fixes.Affected if The system is missing the MS03-031 security patch for SQL Server.
You are affected if you run any unpatched version of SQL Server 7.0, SQL Server 2000, or MSDE 1.0 with named pipe protocol enabled, particularly when the SQL Server service runs under a high-privilege account.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply the relevant Microsoft security patch for this vulnerability. Additionally, run SQL Server services under least-privilege service accounts and ensure proper network isolation to limit local access to trusted personnel only.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2003-0230 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2003-0230 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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