dbcve.org
Windows 2000Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2009-1923

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-08-12
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
Heap-based buffer overflow in the Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) component for Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 and Server 2003 SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted WINS replication packet that triggers an incorrect buffer-length calculation, aka "WINS Heap 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 confidence

Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted WINS replication packets that trigger incorrect buffer-length calculations. Affects Windows 2000 SP4 and Server 2003 SP2.

MitigationApply Microsoft security patches for CVE-2009-1923 via Windows Update, or disable WINS service if not required, as this is a critical remote code execution vulnerability.

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

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. Check Windows version
    Open a command prompt and run 'winver' or check System Properties. Look for 'Windows 2000' or 'Windows Server 2003' in the OS name.
    Affected if The installed OS is Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 (any version)
  2. Verify WINS is installed
    Open Services console (services.msc) or run 'sc query WINS' from command prompt. Look for 'Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)' in the list of installed services.
    Affected if WINS appears in the services list (indicates the feature is installed)
  3. Check if WINS service is running
    In Services console, check the Status column for WINS, or run 'sc query WINS' to see if STATE shows 'RUNNING'.
    Affected if The WINS service status is Running or set to Automatic startup
  4. Verify WINS replication is enabled
    Open WINS console (winsmgmt.msc) or check the WINS server event log for replication partner configurations. Replication must be enabled for the vulnerability to be exploitable.
    Affected if WINS replication partners are configured or the WINS console is accessible

Environment is affected if running Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 with WINS service installed and enabled, as the heap overflow occurs during WINS replication packet processing.

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 patches for CVE-2009-1923 via Windows Update, or disable WINS service if not required, as this is a critical remote code execution vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

Windows Server 2016 or later (Windows 2000 and 2003 Server are end-of-life and no longer receive security updates)

  1. 1. Assess current infrastructure to identify all systems running Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 Server that have WINS enabled
  2. 2. Plan migration from WINS to DNS-based name resolution, as WINS is a legacy deprecated service
  3. 3. Migrate name resolution services to DNS-only infrastructure
  4. 4. Disable or uninstall WINS on all affected systems
  5. 5. Deploy systems running supported operating systems (Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 or later)
Caveat Full migration from WINS to DNS requires updating all client configurations and potentially redesigning network name resolution; legacy applications relying on WINS may need modification

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

Fix this in Windows 2000 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,690
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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-2009-1923 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
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data