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Data Access ComponentsApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2003-0903

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2004-02-17
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Buffer overflow in a component of Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.5 through 2.8 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed UDP response to a broadcast request.

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 · moderate confidence

Buffer overflow in Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) versions 2.5 through 2.8 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed UDP response to a broadcast request, enabling complete system compromise.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for this vulnerability; for end-of-life MDAC versions, upgrade to a supported version or implement network segmentation to restrict UDP broadcast exposure.

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
Data Access ComponentsApplication
Affected:= 2.5= 2.6= 2.7= 2.8

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if MDAC is installed
    Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DataAccess, or use command: reg query 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DataAccess'
    Affected if The DataAccess registry key does not exist, meaning MDAC is not installed.
  2. Identify the installed MDAC version
    In the same registry location, locate the 'Version' or 'FullInstallVer' string value and note the version number (for example: 2.50.0000, 2.60.0000, 2.70.0000, or 2.80.0000).
    Affected if The version begins with 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, or 2.8 (for example: 2.5.x.x, 2.6.x.x, 2.7.x.x, or 2.8.x.x).
  3. Check if the UDP broadcast listener is active
    Use netstat -an to examine listening UDP ports, particularly port 1434 (SQL Server Resolution Service) which MDAC uses for broadcast responses, or check for applications using the SQL Server Resolution Service.
    Affected if Port 1434 UDP is open and listening, indicating the vulnerable service is exposed.
  4. Verify network exposure to broadcast traffic
    Review firewall rules or network configuration to determine if the system accepts UDP broadcast responses on the local subnet.
    Affected if UDP broadcast traffic from untrusted network segments can reach this system.

The system is affected if MDAC versions 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, or 2.8 are installed and the SQL Server Resolution Service (UDP port 1434) is enabled and exposed to network traffic.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security updates for this vulnerability; for end-of-life MDAC versions, upgrade to a supported version or implement network segmentation to restrict UDP broadcast exposure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-033 (or subsequent Windows service pack that includes the fix for CVE-2003-0903)

  1. 1. Identify all systems running Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) versions 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, or 2.8
  2. 2. Verify the exact MDAC version installed on each affected system using the registry key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DataAccess
  3. 3. Apply the relevant Microsoft security update. For CVE-2003-0903, Microsoft released MS03-033 (Security Update for MDAC) which addresses this vulnerability
  4. 4. Alternatively, ensure Windows Update is fully applied on all affected systems, as this vulnerability was addressed in later Windows service packs and security updates
  5. 5. After patching, verify the MDAC version has been updated to a version greater than 2.8 (or confirm the security update is installed)
  6. 6. Consider upgrading to newer data access technologies (MSDAO, or newer ODBC/OLE DB drivers) as MDAC is deprecated
Caveat This is a legacy 2003 vulnerability; patching may require older systems to be brought online temporarily for patching. Ensure backups exist before applying updates to legacy systems.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Data Access Components Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,480
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2003-0903 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data