CVE-2010-0484
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 · uneditedThe Windows kernel-mode drivers in win32k.sys in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1 and SP2, and Server 2008 Gold and SP2 "do not properly validate changes in certain kernel objects," which allows local users to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to Device Contexts (DC) and the GetDCEx function, aka "Win32k Improper Data Validation 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 confidenceThis is a kernel-mode driver vulnerability in win32k.sys where improper validation of changes in certain kernel objects allows local users to execute arbitrary code via vectors related to Device Contexts (DC) and the GetDCEx function. The flaw enables privilege escalation from a low-privileged user context to kernel-level code execution.
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 dataall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsCVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- Single
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/Au:S/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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Identify Windows versionRun 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"' from command promptAffected if Version is Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008 (any edition)
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Locate win32k.sys driverCheck for presence of win32k.sys in %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\ (typically C:\Windows\system32\drivers\win32k.sys)Affected if File exists and is from an affected Windows version (the driver is present by default on all affected versions)
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Check win32k.sys file versionRight-click win32k.sys > Properties > Details tab, or run 'dir /a %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\win32k.sys' to see version infoAffected if Version is from an unpatched build of the affected Windows versions (the specific version numbers vary by build)
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Verify Desktop Window Manager (DWM) is runningCheck if dwm.exe process is running via Task Manager or 'tasklist | findstr dwm.exe'Affected if The vulnerability is exploitable on any affected Windows installation where a local user can execute code; the presence of the unpatched win32k.sys in an affected Windows version indicates potential exposure
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.
From vendor dataApply the relevant Microsoft security updates for this vulnerability across all affected Windows versions (2000 SP4, XP SP2/SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1/SP2, Server 2008 Gold/SP2). Consider restricting local access to trusted users only as a defense-in-depth measure until patches are applied.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-0484 — 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-2010-0484 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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- 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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