dbcve.org
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system · Microsoft

CVE-2004-0575

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2004-11-03
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
High EPSS 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
Integer overflow in DUNZIP32.DLL for Microsoft Windows XP, Windows XP 64-bit Edition, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2003 64-bit Edition allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via compressed (zipped) folders that involve an "unchecked buffer" and improper length validation.

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 confidence

Integer overflow in DUNZIP32.DLL (Windows compressed folders handler) allows remote code execution via specially crafted ZIP archives. The vulnerability stems from an unchecked buffer with improper length validation during ZIP file processing.

MitigationApply Microsoft security patch for this vulnerability (MS security bulletin); avoid opening untrusted or unexpected compressed (ZIP) files from unknown sources.

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
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system
Affected:= 64-bit= r2
Windows XpOperating system
Affected:all versions

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 Windows version
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo' from command prompt and identify if the system is Windows XP (any version) or Windows 2003 Server (64-bit or R2)
    Affected if The system is Windows XP (any version) or Windows 2003 Server 64-bit/R2 - other versions are not affected
  2. Locate DUNZIP32.DLL
    Search for DUNZIP32.DLL in the Windows\System32 folder (typical path: C:\Windows\System32\DUNZIP32.DLL)
    Affected if The DLL exists on the system - its presence is required for the vulnerability to apply
  3. Check DLL file version
    Right-click DUNZIP32.DLL, select Properties, then Details tab to view File Version. Alternatively, use 'dir DUNZIP32.DLL' in System32 folder to see version info
    Affected if The DLL version is older than the patched version - unpatched installations remain vulnerable
  4. Verify Compressed Folders feature
    Attempt to open a ZIP file using Windows Explorer or right-click > 'Extract All' - this invokes the vulnerable DUNZIP32.DLL handler
    Affected if The Compressed Folders feature is active and processes ZIP files using the unpatched DUNZIP32.DLL

A system is affected if it runs Windows XP or Windows 2003 Server (64-bit/R2) with an unpatched version of DUNZIP32.DLL present and the Compressed Folders feature is used to process ZIP archives.

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 patch for this vulnerability (MS security bulletin); avoid opening untrusted or unexpected compressed (ZIP) files from unknown sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

Migrate to a supported Windows version: Windows 10/11 for workstations, Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 for servers

  1. 1. Determine if the system is still in production - both Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 reached end of support (2014 and 2015 respectively) and should be retired.
  2. 2. If the system must remain operational as a bridge measure, apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS04-034 patch for this vulnerability.
  3. 3. The MS04-034 patch (KB873339) addresses the integer overflow in DUNZIP32.DLL for compressed (zipped) folders.
  4. 4. Obtain the patch from Microsoft Update Catalog or your organization's internal patch management system.
  5. 5. Test the patch in a non-production environment before deployment.
  6. 6. Deploy the patch to all affected systems using your standard deployment method.
Caveat Windows XP and Server 2003 are no longer supported; upgrading may require application compatibility testing and hardware assessment as these older OS versions have significant compatibility limitations with modern software

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

Fix this in Windows 2003 Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,980
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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-2004-0575 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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