CVE-2009-2527
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 · uneditedHeap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a crafted ASF file or (2) crafted streaming content, aka "WMP Heap 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 confidenceHeap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft Windows Media Player 6.4 when parsing ASF files or processing streaming content. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening crafted media files.
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= 6.4CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Windows Media Player versionLocate wmplayer.exe (typically in C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Media Player\) and view its file properties, or run 'wmic product get name,version' to list installed software and look for Windows Media Player 6.4Affected if The installed version is exactly 6.4
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Verify ASF file associationCheck if .asf files are associated with Windows Media Player by right-clicking an ASF file, selecting Properties, and viewing the 'Opens with' field, or check the registry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.asfAffected if ASF files are set to open with Windows Media Player 6.4
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Confirm streaming protocol handlerOpen Windows Media Player 6.4, go to File > Open URL (or similar streaming input) and verify if the player accepts streaming content input, or check if mms:// or http:// streaming protocols are registered to wmplayer.exeAffected if Streaming protocol handlers (mms, http streaming) are registered to WMP 6.4
A user is affected if Windows Media Player version 6.4 is installed AND either ASF file associations or streaming protocol handlers are active, enabling the vulnerable parsing code to be triggered.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedUpgrade Windows Media Player to a supported version or remove WMP 6.4 from affected systems. Avoid opening ASF files from untrusted sources.
Microsoft Security Update MS09-052 (for WMP 6.4 on legacy Windows); otherwise migrate to modern Windows (10/11) which includes Windows Media Player 12 or deprecated WMP entirely
- Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-052, which addresses this vulnerability in Windows Media Player 6.4. This bulletin was released September 8, 2009.
- If the system is running an older Windows version (Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003), ensure the security update is obtained and installed from Microsoft Update or the Microsoft Download Center.
- After applying the patch, verify the update was successful by checking Windows Update history or by confirming the WMP version no longer exhibits the vulnerability.
- Consider migrating to a newer Windows version, as Windows Media Player 6.4 is obsolete and no longer supported on modern Windows platforms.
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2009-2527 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2009-2527 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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
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