CVE-2010-0819
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 · uneditedUnspecified vulnerability in the Windows OpenType Compact Font Format (CFF) driver in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1 and SP2, Server 2008 SP2 and R2, and Windows 7 allows local users to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors related to improper validation when copying data from user mode to kernel mode, aka "OpenType CFF Font Driver Memory 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 confidenceA memory corruption vulnerability in the Windows OpenType Compact Font Format (CFF) driver allows local users to execute arbitrary code. The flaw lies in improper validation when copying data from user mode to kernel mode, enabling privilege escalation from a standard user account to kernel/system 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 versions= r2all 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
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm Windows version is in affected rangeRun 'winver' or check System Properties. This vulnerability affects Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, Server 2008 (including R2), and Windows 7 - all versions of these releases.Affected if System runs any version of Windows 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, Server 2008, or Windows 7 (older, unsupported Windows versions are explicitly listed as affected)
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Check if security update MS10-021 is installedOpen Command Prompt and run 'wmic qfe list | findstr "KB979683"' (the KB number for MS10-021), or view the installed updates list via Control Panel > Programs > View installed updates. Also check for any later superseding security updates.Affected if The security update KB979683 (MS10-021) or a later superseding update is NOT listed as installed
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Verify font driver file version if accessibleLocate the OpenType CFF driver file on the system (typically at %SystemRoot%\System32\atmfd.dll). Right-click the file, select Properties, and check the File Version tab. Compare this version against the patched version provided in the Microsoft security bulletin.Affected if The font driver file exists and its version is older than the patched version referenced in MS10-021
A system is affected if it runs any version of Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/Server 2008/7 AND lacks the MS10-021 (KB979683) security update or subsequent superseding patches.
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 Microsoft security update MS10-021 (or subsequent superseding updates) to all affected Windows systems. Prioritize domain controllers and systems with high privilege users.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-0819 — 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-2010-0819 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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