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Windows 2000Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2010-0485

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2010-06-08
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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 Windows kernel-mode drivers in win32k.sys in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1 and SP2, Server 2008 Gold and SP2, Windows 7, and Server 2008 R2 "do not properly validate all callback parameters when creating a new window," which allows local users to execute arbitrary code, aka "Win32k Window Creation 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

A vulnerability in the Windows kernel-mode driver (win32k.sys) allows local users to execute arbitrary code due to improper validation of callback parameters during window creation. This is a local privilege escalation flaw affecting multiple Windows versions from 2000 to Windows 7/Server 2008 R2.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update (MS10-015) to patch the win32k.sys vulnerability. Verify systems are no longer vulnerable by confirming the patch is installed and testing for successful local privilege escalation.

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 XpOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows VistaOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions= r2
Windows 7Operating 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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 'systeminfo' from command prompt to determine the exact Windows version and build number
    Affected if Version is Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, Server 2008, Server 2008 R2, or Windows 7 (any build)
  2. Verify patch MS10-015 installation
    Run 'wmic qfe list' or check 'Programs and Features' > 'View installed updates' for security update KB975517
    Affected if The security update KB975517 is NOT listed among installed updates
  3. Confirm win32k.sys version as fallback
    Locate win32k.sys in C:\Windows\System32\, right-click > Properties > Details to view file version
    Affected if File version is earlier than the patched version for your Windows release and the MS10-015 update is not installed

The system is affected if it runs an unpatched Windows version within the 2000 to Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 range and lacks the MS10-015 (KB975517) security update.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the Microsoft security update (MS10-015) to patch the win32k.sys vulnerability. Verify systems are no longer vulnerable by confirming the patch is installed and testing for successful local privilege escalation.

Fix this in Windows 2000 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,150
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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-2010-0485 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