dbcve.org
Windows 2000Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2009-0568

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-06-10
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
The RPC Marshalling Engine (aka NDR) in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2, and Server 2008 SP2 does not properly maintain its internal state, which allows remote attackers to overwrite arbitrary memory locations via a crafted RPC message that triggers incorrect pointer reading, related to "IDL interfaces containing a non-conformant varying array" and FC_SMVARRAY, FC_LGVARRAY, FC_VARIABLE_REPEAT, and FC_VARIABLE_OFFSET, aka "RPC Marshalling Engine 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 confidence

The RPC Marshalling Engine (NDR) in multiple Windows versions fails to properly maintain internal state when processing non-conformant varying arrays in IDL interfaces. Attackers can send crafted RPC messages using specific format codes (FC_SMVARRAY, FC_LGVARRAY, FC_VARIABLE_REPEAT, FC_VARIABLE_OFFSET) to trigger incorrect pointer reading, allowing arbitrary memory overwrite and remote code execution.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update MS09-026 to patch the RPC Marshalling Engine vulnerability on all affected systems, and restrict RPC endpoint exposure to untrusted networks to reduce attack surface.

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 2000Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows ServerOperating system
Affected:= 2008
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows VistaOperating system
Affected:all versions
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. Identify Windows version
    Run 'systeminfo' from command prompt or check via 'winver'. Look at the OS Name and Version fields.
    Affected if The operating system is Windows 2000 (any version), Windows 2003 Server (any version), Windows Server 2008 (any version), Windows Vista (any version), or Windows XP (any version).
  2. Verify RPC service is running
    Open Services console (services.msc) and locate 'Remote Procedure Call (RPC)' service, or run 'sc query RpcSs' from command prompt.
    Affected if The RPC service (RpcSs) is in Running state - this is the default state on affected Windows versions.
  3. Check RPC endpoint mapper status
    Run 'rpcping -s localhost' or check if port 135 (RPC Endpoint Mapper) is listening via 'netstat -an | findstr :135'.
    Affected if RPC endpoints are exposed, particularly on systems accessible from untrusted networks. By default, RPC services listen on port 135 and dynamic ports.

You are affected if you are running any version of Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, or Windows XP, and the RPC service (RpcSs) is running and accessible (the default configuration on these systems).

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 the Microsoft security update MS09-026 to patch the RPC Marshalling Engine vulnerability on all affected systems, and restrict RPC endpoint exposure to untrusted networks to reduce attack surface.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to a supported Windows version such as Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2016 and later. For systems that can still receive updates, apply Microsoft security patch MS09-026 (KB 961501).

  1. Identify all affected systems running Windows 2000, XP (SP2/SP3), Server 2003 (SP2), Vista (Gold/SP1/SP2), or Server 2008 that have RPC exposure (listening on TCP/135, 445, or other RPC endpoints)
  2. Prioritize systems with direct internet exposure or network accessibility from untrusted zones
  3. For Windows XP SP2/SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1/SP2, and Server 2008 SP2: Check if Microsoft security patch MS09-026 can be applied (note: Windows 2000 reached end of support in 2010 and no patches are available)
  4. If MS09-026 is not available or systems are too old: Plan migration to a supported Windows version (Windows 10, Windows 11, or Windows Server 2016+)
  5. If immediate upgrade is not possible: Disable RPC services where not required, block RPC ports (135, 139, 445, and high ports) at network perimeter firewalls for untrusted connections
  6. Apply the Microsoft patch MS09-026 from June 2009 if available for your specific Windows version (KB 961501)
  7. After patching or upgrade, verify RPC services function correctly and validate vulnerability is remediated
Caveat Upgrading from Windows XP/2000/Vista/Server 2003/2008 to modern Windows may break legacy applications designed for older Windows versions. Some specialized software may require rewrites or replacement. Network compatibility with older systems may also be affected.

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

Fix this in Windows 2000 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2009-0568 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