dbcve.org
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system · Microsoft

CVE-2009-2503

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
GDI+ in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP1, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, 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 does not properly allocate an unspecified buffer, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted TIFF image file that triggers memory corruption, aka "GDI+ TIFF Memory Corruption 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

GDI+ (Graphics Device Interface Plus) in multiple Microsoft products contains a buffer allocation flaw when parsing specially crafted TIFF image files. The vulnerability leads to memory corruption that can be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malicious TIFF images.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS09-062 (or subsequent relevant patches) to all affected systems, and consider disabling TIFF rendering or using DEP/ASLR mitigations where available.

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
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
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo' from command prompt to identify the Windows version. Check if it is Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008.
    Affected if The system is running Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008.
  2. Verify GDI+ component presence
    Check for the presence of gdiplus.dll in the system. Run 'dir /s C:\gdiplus.dll' or check the version by right-clicking the file, selecting Properties, and viewing the Details tab.
    Affected if The gdiplus.dll file exists on the system (typically in C:\Windows\System32 or C:\Windows\winsxs directories).
  3. Check .NET Framework version if installed
    Check for Microsoft .NET Framework installations. Navigate to 'C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework' and look for directories v1.1 or v2.0. Alternatively, check 'Add or Remove Programs' for Microsoft .NET Framework versions.
    Affected if .NET Framework 1.1 or 2.0 is installed on the system.
  4. Check Internet Explorer version
    Open Internet Explorer, click Help, then About Internet Explorer (or type 'iexplore.exe' in Run and add '-extoff' to check version). Note the version number.
    Affected if Internet Explorer 6 is installed on the system.
  5. Check Microsoft Report Viewer installation
    Check 'Add or Remove Programs' (or 'Programs and Features') for Microsoft Report Viewer 2005 or 2008, or check installation directories if known.
    Affected if Microsoft Report Viewer 2005 or 2008 is installed.
  6. Check Microsoft SQL Server version
    Run 'SELECT @@VERSION' in SQL Server Management Studio or check the SQL Server version through Configuration Manager or Services list.
    Affected if Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is installed on the system.

The system is affected if it runs any of the affected Windows versions (.NET Framework 1.1/2.0, IE6, Report Viewer 2005/2008, or SQL Server 2005) and can process TIFF image files 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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security update MS09-062 (or subsequent relevant patches) to all affected systems, and consider disabling TIFF rendering or using DEP/ASLR mitigations where available.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-062 (Security Update KB956881 for Windows; KB969901 for .NET Framework)

  1. Identify the specific Microsoft product and version from the affected list (Windows XP/SP2/SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, .NET Framework 1.1/2.0, IE6, SQL Server 2005 SP2/SP3, Report Viewer 2005 SP1, Report Viewer 2008 Gold/SP1)
  2. Navigate to Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-062 (GDI+ TIFF Memory Corruption Vulnerability)
  3. Download the appropriate security update (KB956881 for Windows platforms; KB969901 for .NET Framework) for your specific product and language
  4. Apply the security update via Windows Update, WSUS, or manual installation
  5. Restart the affected system if prompted
  6. Verify the update installed successfully via Add/Remove Programs (确保更新 appears in the list)
Caveat Patches for legacy systems may require Windows Installer 4.5 or later; some updates may require subsequent Internet Explorer cumulative updates for complete remediation

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

Fix this in Windows 2003 Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
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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-2009-2503 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