dbcve.org
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system · Microsoft

CVE-2009-2504

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
Multiple integer overflows in unspecified APIs in GDI+ in Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 SP1, .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 and SP2, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Vista Gold and SP1, Server 2008 Gold, 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 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a crafted XAML browser application (XBAP), (2) a crafted ASP.NET application, or (3) a crafted .NET Framework application, aka "GDI+ .NET API 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

Multiple integer overflow vulnerabilities in GDI+ APIs allow remote code execution when users view specially crafted XAML browser applications (XBAP), ASP.NET applications, or .NET Framework applications. The overflows can be triggered through malformed graphical content processed by affected GDI+ components.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for GDI+ vulnerability (MS09-062) across all affected products. Prioritize patching systems that process untrusted graphical content from external sources.

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. Identify Windows version
    Run 'winver' or check system properties. Confirm if the system is Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008.
    Affected if The installed Windows version is any version of XP, 2003 Server, Vista, or 2008 Server.
  2. Check .NET Framework version
    Inspect the installed .NET Framework versions by reviewing the directory C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\ and looking for subdirectories v1.1.4322 or v2.0.50727. Alternatively, run 'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP" /s' to list installed versions.
    Affected if .NET Framework version 1.1 or 2.0 is installed.
  3. Confirm GDI+ exposure through Internet Explorer
    Check if Internet Explorer 6 is in use by launching IE and navigating to Help > About Internet Explorer, or by running 'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer" /v Version' in Command Prompt.
    Affected if Internet Explorer version 6 is installed and used to browse untrusted content.
  4. Check for Report Viewer installation
    Inspect Add/Remove Programs (Programs and Features) for Microsoft Report Viewer 2005 or 2008, or check the registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ReportViewer for installed versions.
    Affected if Microsoft Report Viewer 2005 or 2008 is installed and processes untrusted graphical content.
  5. Verify SQL Server 2005 presence
    Check for SQL Server 2005 installation by reviewing installed programs list or running 'SELECT @@VERSION' in SQL Server Management Studio if available.
    Affected if SQL Server 2005 is installed and exposes GDI+ functionality to untrusted data.

A system is affected if it runs any combination of Windows XP/2003/Vista/2008 with .NET Framework 1.1/2.0, IE6, Report Viewer 2005/2008, or SQL Server 2005, and these components process or display untrusted graphical content.

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 for GDI+ vulnerability (MS09-062) across all affected products. Prioritize patching systems that process untrusted graphical content from external sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

For .NET Framework: upgrade to .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 or .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (which includes the fixed GDI+ implementation). For Windows: migrate to a supported Windows version (Windows 7 or later with current support).

  1. Identify the affected Microsoft product from the list (.NET Framework, Windows, Office, SQL Server, Report Viewer, or Forefront Client Security)
  2. Locate and apply the relevant Microsoft security update. For this vulnerability (GDI+ .NET API), the primary bulletins are MS09-071 (for .NET Framework) and potentially MS09-029 (for GDI+ core component)
  3. For .NET Framework 1.1: Apply the update from MS09-071 which addresses the specific integer overflows in GDI+ APIs
  4. For .NET Framework 2.0 SP1: Apply MS09-071 update, or preferably upgrade to .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 which includes the security fix
  5. For Windows XP/Server 2003/Vista/Server 2008: Ensure all security updates through the respective service packs are applied, particularly MS09-071
  6. For Office products: Apply the applicable Office security update from MS09-060 or MS09-065 depending on the specific product
  7. For SQL Server: Apply SQL Server security updates from MS09-015 or the relevant SQL Server security bulletin
  8. Verify the patch installation by checking the system's installed updates
Caveat Applying security patches to legacy systems (.NET 1.1, Windows XP/Server 2003) carries minimal breaking change risk but may require testing for compatibility with dependent applications. Upgrading .NET Framework versions may require recompilation of legacy applications.

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

Fix this in Windows 2003 Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
36.0 hours of engineering $6,400
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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-2009-2504 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