dbcve.org
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system · Microsoft

CVE-2010-1882

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-08-11
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
Multiple buffer overflows in the MPEG Layer-3 Audio Codec for Microsoft DirectShow in l3codecx.ax in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3 and Server 2003 SP2 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an MPEG Layer-3 audio stream in (1) a crafted media file or (2) crafted streaming content, aka "MPEG Layer-3 Audio Decoder Buffer 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 confidence

Buffer overflow vulnerability in the MPEG Layer-3 Audio Codec for DirectShow (l3codecx.ax) allows remote code execution via specially crafted MPEG Layer-3 audio streams in media files or streaming content. The vulnerability affects Windows XP SP2/SP3 and Windows Server 2003 SP2.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS10-033 (or subsequent cumulative updates) to patch the vulnerable l3codecx.ax codec component. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling the affected codec or using alternative media playback software that does not rely on the vulnerable DirectShow component.

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 2003 ServerOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2003Operating 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
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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the Windows version
    Run 'winver' or check system properties to confirm if the system is Windows XP or Windows Server 2003
    Affected if The system is running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 (any Service Pack)
  2. Locate the l3codecx.ax file
    Search for l3codecx.ax in the Windows system directories (typically System32 or SysWOW64)
    Affected if The file l3codecx.ax exists on the system - if absent, the vulnerable component is not installed
  3. Check the codec file version
    Right-click the l3codecx.ax file, select Properties, and examine the File Version attribute
    Affected if The file version is present and corresponds to an unpatched build prior to MS10-033
  4. Determine if DirectShow is enabled
    Verify that DirectShow is available and the system can process media files - check for presence of DirectShow-related services or try playing an audio file
    Affected if DirectShow is active and the system processes MPEG Layer-3 audio content

A user is affected if they run Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, the l3codecx.ax codec file is present on the system, and they play or process media files containing MPEG Layer-3 audio streams.

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 Microsoft security update MS10-033 (or subsequent cumulative updates) to patch the vulnerable l3codecx.ax codec component. If immediate patching is not feasible, consider disabling the affected codec or using alternative media playback software that does not rely on the vulnerable DirectShow component.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Windows 10/11 (desktop) or Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 (servers). Windows XP and Server 2003 reached end of support in 2014 and 2015 respectively and no longer receive security updates.

  1. 1. Verify the current Windows version by checking System Properties
  2. 2. If running Windows XP SP2/SP3 or Windows Server 2003 SP2, plan migration to a supported Windows version (Windows 7 or later)
  3. 3. Backup all critical data and system configuration
  4. 4. Perform a fresh installation of a supported Windows version (Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2016+)
  5. 5. Restore applications and data from backups
  6. 6. Ensure Windows Update is enabled and configure automatic security updates
  7. 7. For interim mitigation: disable the MPEG Layer-3 Audio Codec (l3codecx.ax) by unregistering it via 'regsvr32 /u %SystemRoot%\System32\l3codecx.ax' command, though this may affect media playback functionality
Caveat Upgrading from Windows XP/Server 2003 to modern Windows requires hardware assessment, application compatibility testing, and potential data migration. Some legacy applications may not be compatible with newer Windows versions.

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

Fix this in Windows 2003 Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get help mitigating

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 locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-1882 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2010-1882 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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