dbcve.org
Windows 2000Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2010-0231

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-02-10
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
The SMB implementation in the Server service in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, and R2, and Windows 7 does not use a sufficient source of entropy, which allows remote attackers to obtain access to files and other SMB resources via a large number of authentication requests, related to server-generated challenges, certain "duplicate values," and spoofing of an authentication token, aka "SMB NTLM Authentication Lack of Entropy 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

The SMB Server service in multiple Windows versions uses insufficient entropy when generating NTLM authentication challenges. This causes predictable or duplicate values in server-generated challenges. Remote attackers can exploit this by sending numerous authentication requests to observe patterns, allowing them to spoof authentication tokens and gain unauthorized access to files and SMB resources.

MitigationApply the relevant Microsoft security update for CVE-2010-0231. As defense-in-depth, restrict SMB access to trusted networks, disable SMB if not required, or enforce NTLMv2/kerberos authentication where possible.

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 2003 ServerOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 7Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows VistaOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows XpOperating 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
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/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 to confirm the exact Windows version and build number. Compare against the affected list: Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, 7, or Server 2008.
    Affected if The system is any version of Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, 7, or Server 2008.
  2. Verify SMB Server service status
    Open Services (services.msc) and locate the 'Server' service (SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support service on newer systems). Check if it is running or set to start automatically.
    Affected if The Server service is installed and running on an affected Windows version.
  3. Confirm SMB network listening ports
    Run 'netstat -an | findstr "445 139"' from an elevated command prompt to see if the system is listening on SMB ports 445 (TCP) or 139 (NetBIOS).
    Affected if Ports 445 or 139 are open and listening, indicating SMB is accessible over the network.
  4. Check NTLM authentication configuration
    Open Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc), navigate to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options, and inspect 'Network security: LAN Manager authentication level'. Values using LM or NTLM (not NTLMv2 only) indicate the vulnerable authentication path is possible.
    Affected if The system accepts LM or NTLM (v1) responses, enabling the predictable challenge vulnerability to be exploited.

A system is affected if it runs any version of Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, 7, or Server 2008 with the SMB Server service enabled and accessible over the network using NTLM authentication.

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 the relevant Microsoft security update for CVE-2010-0231. As defense-in-depth, restrict SMB access to trusted networks, disable SMB if not required, or enforce NTLMv2/kerberos authentication where possible.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apply Microsoft Security Update MS10-006 (KB971468). For Windows 2000, migrate to a supported OS such as Windows XP (with SP3), Windows Vista, or Windows 7/Server 2008

  1. Apply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-006, which addresses the SMB NTLM Authentication Lack of Entropy Vulnerability (CVE-2010-0231)
  2. For Windows XP SP2/SP3: Install security update 971468 from Microsoft (MS10-006)
  3. For Windows Vista Gold/SP1/SP2: Install security update 971468 from Microsoft (MS10-006)
  4. For Windows 7: Install security update 971468 from Microsoft (MS10-006)
  5. For Windows Server 2003 SP2: Install security update 971468 from Microsoft (MS10-006)
  6. For Windows Server 2008 Gold/SP2: Install security update 971468 from Microsoft (MS10-006)
  7. For Windows 2000: Microsoft did not release a patch as extended support had ended; upgrade to a supported operating system is required
  8. After applying the update, verify the patch was installed successfully via Windows Update or by checking the installed updates list
Caveat Patches for end-of-life operating systems (Windows 2000) are not available; legacy systems require OS migration. Ensure compatibility testing for line-of-business applications before patching.

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

Fix this in Windows 2000 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
27.0 hours of engineering $4,800
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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-2010-0231 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