dbcve.org
Windows 2000Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2009-2497

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-10-14
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 Common Language Runtime (CLR) in Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, 2.0 SP1, 2.0 SP2, 3.5, and 3.5 SP1, and Silverlight 2, does not properly handle interfaces, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a crafted XAML browser application (XBAP), (2) a crafted Silverlight application, (3) a crafted ASP.NET application, or (4) a crafted .NET Framework application, aka "Microsoft Silverlight and Microsoft .NET Framework CLR 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

This is a remote code execution vulnerability in the Common Language Runtime (CLR) of Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0/3.5 and Silverlight 2. The flaw involves improper handling of interfaces, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into running crafted XBAP browser applications, Silverlight apps, ASP.NET applications, or standalone .NET applications.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates MS09-061 (for .NET Framework) and any corresponding Silverlight updates to patch the CLR interface handling flaw, or upgrade affected systems to patched versions of .NET Framework and Silverlight.

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
.net FrameworkApplication
Affected:= 2.0= 1.1= 3.5= 1.0
Windows Server 2003Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows VistaOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 7Operating 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
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. Identify installed .NET Framework version
    Run 'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v2.0.50727" /v Version' or check the registry key for .NET Framework versions under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\
    Affected if The installed version is .NET Framework 2.0, 3.5, 1.0, or 1.1 as listed in the affected versions
  2. Check for Silverlight 2 installation
    Inspect the registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Silverlight or run 'reg query HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Silverlight /v Version'
    Affected if Silverlight version 2 is installed and vulnerable
  3. Verify if .NET Framework browser integration is enabled
    Check browser settings or installed browser add-ons for .NET Framework Assistant or XBAP support, or inspect installed components via 'Get-ItemProperty' on registry keys under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Firefox\extensions
    Affected if Browsers have .NET Framework add-on support enabled, allowing XBAP or managed browser applications to run
  4. Confirm ASP.NET is installed and running
    Check for ASP.NET via 'C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\aspnet_regiis.exe -lk' or inspect IIS for ASP.NET version entries in the registry
    Affected if ASP.NET is installed and configured on the system, providing a potential attack vector for the CLR flaw
  5. Determine Windows version
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"'
    Affected if The system runs Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, or Windows 7 - all listed as affected platforms for this CLR vulnerability

A system is likely affected if it runs any of the vulnerable Windows versions with .NET Framework 2.0, 3.5, 1.0, or 1.1 installed, or has Silverlight 2, and the system user could potentially run untrusted .NET or Silverlight applications via browser or web server.

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 MS09-061 (for .NET Framework) and any corresponding Silverlight updates to patch the CLR interface handling flaw, or upgrade affected systems to patched versions of .NET Framework and Silverlight.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to a supported Windows version (Windows 8.1 or later) with a supported .NET Framework version (4.5 or later)

  1. Identify the installed version of Microsoft .NET Framework on the affected system
  2. Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-061, which addresses CVE-2009-2497. For .NET Framework 2.0, install KB974417. For other versions, install the corresponding update from MS09-061
  3. Alternatively, consider upgrading to a supported version of Windows and .NET Framework as these affected products are end-of-life
Caveat Applying security updates to legacy systems may cause compatibility issues with older applications; thorough testing recommended

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
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
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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-2009-2497 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