dbcve.org
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system · Microsoft

CVE-2009-2502

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 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 →
90/100
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
Buffer overflow in GDI+ in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP1, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Office XP SP3, Office 2003 SP3, 2007 Microsoft Office System SP1 and SP2, Office Project 2002 SP1, Visio 2002 SP2, Office Word Viewer, Word Viewer 2003 Gold and SP3, Office Excel Viewer 2003 Gold and SP3, Office Excel Viewer, Office PowerPoint Viewer 2007 Gold, SP1, and SP2, Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats SP1 and SP2, Expression Web, Expression Web 2, Groove 2007 Gold and SP1, Works 8.5, SQL Server 2000 Reporting Services SP2, SQL Server 2005 SP2 and SP3, Report Viewer 2005 SP1, Report Viewer 2008 Gold and SP1, and Forefront Client Security 1.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted TIFF image file, aka "GDI+ TIFF Buffer 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

Buffer overflow vulnerability in GDI+ (Graphics Device Interface Plus) that allows remote code execution when processing a specially crafted TIFF image file. The vulnerability affects multiple Microsoft products including Internet Explorer, Windows XP, Office suites, and SQL Server components.

MitigationApply Microsoft security bulletin MS09-062 which addresses this vulnerability, or upgrade to unsupported product versions that have incorporated the fix. For systems that cannot be patched, consider disabling TIFF image rendering or using alternative software that does not rely on the vulnerable GDI+ component.

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 2003 ServerOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows VistaOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows XpOperating system
Affected:all versions
.net FrameworkApplication
Affected:= 1.1= 2.0
Internet ExplorerApplication
Affected:= 6
Report ViewerApplication
Affected:= 2005= 2008
Sql ServerApplication
Affected:= 2005

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
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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. Locate GDI+ component on the system
    Search for gdiplus.dll in system directories (C:\Windows\System32\gdiplus.dll on 32-bit, or C:\Windows\SysWOW64\gdiplus.dll on 64-bit)
    Affected if File exists and version is unpatched (vulnerable versions pre-date MS09-062)
  2. Check installed Windows version
    Run 'winver' or check system properties to confirm Windows version. Vulnerable: XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008
    Affected if System runs any affected Windows version listed (2003, 2008, Vista, XP all versions)
  3. Identify .NET Framework versions present
    Check registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP for installed versions, or use 'gacutil -l'
    Affected if .NET Framework 1.1 or 2.0 is installed (these include vulnerable GDI+)
  4. Check for Internet Explorer 6
    Open IE, go to Help > About Internet Explorer, or check Program Files for IE6 installation
    Affected if Internet Explorer version 6 is installed and in use
  5. Verify TIFF image handling capability
    Attempt to open a TIFF file in any GDI+-based application (e.g., Windows Photo Viewer, IE, or preview handlers)
    Affected if System can process or render TIFF images using GDI+ (the vulnerable code path)

System is affected if it runs any affected Windows/.NET/IE version AND has the vulnerable gdiplus.dll present AND has the ability to process TIFF images through GDI+

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security bulletin MS09-062 which addresses this vulnerability, or upgrade to unsupported product versions that have incorporated the fix. For systems that cannot be patched, consider disabling TIFF image rendering or using alternative software that does not rely on the vulnerable GDI+ component.

Fix this in Windows 2003 Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2009-2502 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