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Data EngineApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2008-0086

HIGH · 9.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-07-08
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
96/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable 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 the convert function in Microsoft SQL Server 2000 SP4, 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000) SP4, and 2000 Desktop Engine (WMSDE) allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via a crafted SQL expression.

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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in the CONVERT function of Microsoft SQL Server 2000 SP4, MSDE 2000 SP4, and WMSDE allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code through specially crafted SQL expressions. This is a high-severity (CVSS 9) vulnerability affecting a legacy database system.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for this vulnerability, restrict database user permissions to minimize attack surface, implement network-level access controls to limit who can submit SQL queries, and consider migrating away from end-of-life SQL Server 2000 systems.

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 EngineApplication
Affected:= 1.0
Sql ServerApplication
Affected:= 7.0= 2000= 2005
Sql Server Desktop EngineApplication
Affected:= 2000
Sql Server Express EditionApplication
Affected:= 2005

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
Single
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/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. Confirm SQL Server installation and version
    Query the SQL Server version using 'SELECT @@VERSION' or check installed programs for Microsoft SQL Server, MSDE, or WMSDE
    Affected if The installed version matches Microsoft Data Engine 1.0, SQL Server 7.0, SQL Server 2000, SQL Server 2005, SQL Server Desktop Engine 2000, or SQL Server Express Edition 2005
  2. Verify the CONVERT function is accessible
    Execute 'SELECT CONVERT(VARCHAR, GETDATE(), 101)' as a test query to confirm the CONVERT function is operational
    Affected if The CONVERT function executes without error, indicating it is available in the environment
  3. Confirm remote authenticated access capability
    Determine if remote authenticated SQL queries can be submitted to the server through network listening status and login permissions
    Affected if Remote authenticated users can connect to and execute queries on the database instance

A user is affected if they have any of the listed versions (MSDE/WMSDE 1.0, SQL Server 7.0/2000/2005, or SQL Server Desktop Engine/Express 2000/2005) installed AND the CONVERT function is accessible to authenticated users who can submit remote SQL queries.

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, restrict database user permissions to minimize attack surface, implement network-level access controls to limit who can submit SQL queries, and consider migrating away from end-of-life SQL Server 2000 systems.

Recommended fix High confidence

SQL Server 2008 R2 or later (or current supported SQL Server version)

  1. Identify all affected SQL Server 2000, MSDE 2000, and WMSDE instances in the environment
  2. Verify user access and permissions for the upgrade process
  3. Plan database migration strategy including backup of all user databases
  4. Perform full backup of all databases including system databases
  5. Upgrade to a supported SQL Server version such as SQL Server 2008 or later (SQL Server 2005 extended support also ended, aim for SQL Server 2008 R2 or newer)
  6. Alternatively, if remaining on older technology is required, apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-040 if patches are still available
  7. After upgrade, verify application connectivity and functionality
  8. Test the CONVERT function to confirm the vulnerability is resolved
Caveat Legacy applications may require testing for compatibility with newer SQL Server version; SQL Server 2000 specific features/queries may need adjustment

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

Fix this in Data Engine Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
34.0 hours of engineering $5,940
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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-2008-0086 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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