dbcve.org
Windows 2000Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2009-2525

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
Microsoft Windows Media Runtime, as used in DirectShow WMA Voice Codec, Windows Media Audio Voice Decoder, and Audio Compression Manager (ACM), does not properly initialize unspecified functions within compressed audio files, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a crafted media file or (2) crafted streaming content, aka "Windows Media Runtime Heap 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

Heap corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Media Runtime components (DirectShow WMA Voice Codec, Windows Media Audio Voice Decoder, and Audio Compression Manager) allows remote code execution via crafted WMA audio files or streaming content due to improper initialization of functions.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS09-051 or subsequent relevant patches. Until patched, disable Windows Media Player or block untrusted WMA media files and streaming 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 2000Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Media Format RuntimeApplication
Affected:= 9.0= 9.5= 11
Windows Media PlayerApplication
Affected:= 9
Windows XpOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2003Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows VistaOperating 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 command prompt and run 'winver' or check System Properties to identify the Windows version (2000, XP, Server 2003, Server 2008, Vista)
    Affected if Version is Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Server 2008, or Vista - these are in the affected product list
  2. Check Windows Media Format Runtime version
    Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Media\Format, or check the version of wmformat.dll in %SystemRoot%\system32\
    Affected if Version equals 9.0, 9.5, or 11 - these specific versions are listed as affected
  3. Check Windows Media Player version
    Open Windows Media Player, go to Help > About, or check the version of wmplayer.exe in %ProgramFiles%\Windows Media Player\
    Affected if Version is 9 - this specific version is listed as affected
  4. Verify vulnerable codec components exist
    Check for the presence of the DirectShow WMA Voice Codec (msvcrv.dll related) or the Windows Media Audio Voice Decoder component in the system - look in %SystemRoot%\system32\ for codec-related DLLs used by Windows Media
    Affected if The DirectShow WMA Voice Codec, Windows Media Audio Voice Decoder, or Audio Compression Manager components are present on the system

A user is affected if they run any of the listed Windows versions (2000, XP, Server 2003, Server 2008, Vista) with Windows Media Format Runtime 9.0/9.5/11 or Windows Media Player 9 installed, and the vulnerable WMA voice codec components are present.

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 MS09-051 or subsequent relevant patches. Until patched, disable Windows Media Player or block untrusted WMA media files and streaming sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to a supported Windows version (Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2016+) - the affected OS versions (Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003, Server 2008) are all end-of-life

  1. Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-051 (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-051) which addresses this vulnerability
  2. For Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008: Install the relevant security update from MS09-051 through Windows Update or manual download from Microsoft Update Catalog
  3. For Windows XP: Ensure Service Pack 3 is installed, then apply the MS09-051 security update
  4. For Windows Server 2003: Apply the MS09-051 security update
  5. For Windows 2000: Apply the MS09-051 security update (note: Windows 2000 was past mainstream support; check Microsoft Support Lifecycle for availability)
  6. If patches are unavailable for your specific configuration, consider upgrading to a supported Windows version (e.g., Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2016+)
Caveat Upgrading from Windows XP/2000/Vista to Windows 10/11 may require hardware upgrades and application compatibility testing; legacy applications may not be compatible with newer OS versions

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

Fix this in Windows 2000 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
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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-2009-2525 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