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Windows Media PlayerApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2008-2253

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-09-11
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
Unspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted audio-only file that is streamed from a Server-Side Playlist (SSPL) on Windows Media Server, aka "Windows Media Player Sampling Rate 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 · moderate confidence

Windows Media Player 11 contains an unspecified vulnerability when parsing crafted audio-only files streamed from a Server-Side Playlist (SSPL) on Windows Media Server. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a specially constructed audio file, likely due to improper handling of sampling rate or audio metadata during playback.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update KB954154 (released August 2008) or later cumulative update for Windows Media Player 11. Alternatively, disable Windows Media Server services and block SSPL streaming at the network perimeter if WMP streaming is not required.

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 Media PlayerApplication
Affected:= 11

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
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/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. Verify Windows Media Player 11 is installed
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'wmp.exe' from the command line to see if it launches. Alternatively, check the version by looking at the WMP help > about dialog.
    Affected if WMP version 11 is confirmed as installed on the system
  2. Check if security update KB954154 is applied
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' from command prompt to list installed hotfixes. Search for KB954154 in the output.
    Affected if KB954154 is NOT listed among installed updates or hotfixes, meaning the system is unpatched for this vulnerability
  3. Determine if Windows Media Server service is running
    Open Services console (services.msc) and locate 'Windows Media Server' or 'Windows Media Services' service, or run 'sc query wmserver' from command prompt.
    Affected if The Windows Media Server service is running and set to Start automatically, enabling the SSPL streaming functionality required for exploitation
  4. Check for SSPL streaming configuration
    Check Windows Media Server settings for Server-Side Playlist (SSPL) configuration. This may be visible in the Windows Media Services administrative tool if installed, or check registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media Services for streaming-related keys.
    Affected if SSPL streaming is enabled or configured on the Windows Media Server, creating the attack surface for this vulnerability

A system is affected if Windows Media Player 11 is installed, KB954154 is not applied, and Windows Media Server with SSPL streaming is enabled and running.

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 update KB954154 (released August 2008) or later cumulative update for Windows Media Player 11. Alternatively, disable Windows Media Server services and block SSPL streaming at the network perimeter if WMP streaming is not required.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to Windows 7 or later which includes Windows Media Player 12 with security fixes

  1. Check for Microsoft security updates: Open Windows Update and install all recommended security patches for Windows.
  2. Verify if MS08-058 (or subsequent related security bulletins) is applicable and install it.
  3. If patches are unavailable for the system, consider upgrading to a newer Windows version that includes Windows Media Player 12 or later.
  4. As a mitigation, disable automatic streaming from Server-Side Playlists (SSPL) in Windows Media Services if not required.
  5. Ensure Windows Firewall is enabled and network exposure is minimized for media streaming services.
Caveat Upgrading Windows may require application compatibility testing; Windows Media Player 12 has interface changes from version 11

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

Fix this in Windows Media Player Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $890
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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-2008-2253 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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