CVE-2009-0235
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 · uneditedStack-based buffer overflow in the Word 97 text converter in WordPad in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, and Server 2003 SP1 and SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted Word 97 file that triggers memory corruption, related to use of inconsistent integer data sizes for an unspecified length field, aka "WordPad Word 97 Text Converter Stack Overflow 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 confidenceStack-based buffer overflow in the Word 97 text converter in WordPad allows remote code execution via crafted Word 97 files. The vulnerability stems from inconsistent integer data sizes used for a length field, causing memory corruption when parsing specially crafted documents.
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 dataall versionsall versionsall versionsCVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Windows versionRun 'winver' or check System Properties to confirm the operating system versionAffected if Version is Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, or Windows XP (any version)
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Confirm WordPad is installedVerify that WordPad (wordpad.exe) exists in the system, typically at C:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\wordpad.exe or C:\Windows\System32\wordpad.exeAffected if WordPad is present on an affected Windows version
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Verify Word 97 converter component existsCheck for the presence of the Word 97 text converter DLL (mswd6_32.dll) in the Windows system directory, commonly found in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\TextConv\Affected if The mswd6_32.dll converter component is present and WordPad can open .doc files
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Check for MS09-010 security updateOpen Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs > Show updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' command to list installed hotfixes, and look for security update KB961063 or MS09-010Affected if The MS09-010 security update (KB961063) is NOT installed on the system
The system is affected if it runs Windows 2000, 2003 Server, or XP, has WordPad with the Word 97 converter installed, and lacks the MS09-010 security patch.
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 Microsoft security updates (MS09-010) to affected systems. Until patched, avoid opening untrusted or unexpected Word 97 documents with WordPad. Consider disabling WordPad file associations for .doc files as a defense-in-depth measure.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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-2009-0235 — 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-2009-0235 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data