dbcve.org
Windows Server 2003Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2010-2738

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-09-15
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 Uniscribe (aka new Unicode Script Processor) implementation in USP10.DLL in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1 and SP2, and Server 2008 Gold and SP2, and Microsoft Office XP SP3, 2003 SP3, and 2007 SP2, does not properly validate tables associated with malformed OpenType fonts, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) web site or (2) Office document, aka "Uniscribe Font Parsing Engine 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 confidence

Memory corruption vulnerability in Uniscribe (USP10.DLL) where the font parsing engine fails to properly validate tables in malformed OpenType fonts. This allows remote code execution when a user views a specially crafted web page or opens a malicious Office document containing a malformed font file.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for USP10.DLL (MS10-063) to affected Windows and Office installations; prioritize internet-facing systems and users who open documents from untrusted sources.

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 Server 2003Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows VistaOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows XpOperating system
Affected:all versions
OfficeApplication
Affected:= 2003= 2007= xp

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. Locate and identify the USP10.DLL version
    Open File Explorer and navigate to the System32 folder (usually C:\Windows\System32). Right-click on USP10.DLL, select Properties, and view the Details tab to see the File Version. Alternatively, run 'dir USP10.DLL' in Command Prompt to confirm presence and then use PowerShell: (Get-Item 'C:\Windows\System32\USP10.dll').VersionInfo to retrieve version details.
    Affected if The DLL is present and its version is older than the patched version released with MS10-063.
  2. Verify Windows version is in the affected range
    Run 'winver' from the Run dialog or check System Properties. Confirm the Windows version is Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008.
    Affected if The system runs an affected Windows version AND has an unpatched USP10.DLL.
  3. Check for Office installations and their version
    Open any Office application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Go to File > Account > About [Application] to see the version. For Office 2003, 2007, and Office XP, confirm the exact version number.
    Affected if Office 2003, 2007, or XP is installed with an unpatched USP10.DLL bundled version.
  4. Identify if font parsing occurs in exposed scenarios
    Review which users have the ability to open documents from external sources or browse untrusted websites. Check if Internet Zone settings allow font downloads or if Office macro/settings permit loading remote font resources.
    Affected if Users can open documents or view web pages that could contain malicious OpenType fonts.

A system is affected if it runs an affected Windows or Office version with a USP10.DLL version older than the MS10-063 patched version, and users can open documents or view web content containing untrusted font files.

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 updates for USP10.DLL (MS10-063) to affected Windows and Office installations; prioritize internet-facing systems and users who open documents from untrusted sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apply Microsoft Security Update MS10-078; for long-term protection, migrate to a supported Windows version (Windows 10/11 or Windows Server 2016+)

  1. Locate the Microsoft security update MS10-078 (released October 12, 2010) for your affected Windows or Office version
  2. For Windows XP/Server 2003/Vista/Server 2008: Download and install the appropriate update from Microsoft Update Catalog based on your system architecture (x86 or x64)
  3. For Microsoft Office: Install the corresponding update for Office XP SP3, Office 2003 SP3, or Office 2007 SP2
  4. Restart the affected system after applying the update
  5. Verify USP10.DLL version has been updated to the patched version (check file properties after update)
Caveat None for the patch; however, affected operating systems (Windows XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008) are end-of-life and no longer receive security updates, posing ongoing risk

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

Fix this in Windows Server 2003 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
34.0 hours of engineering $6,000
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,600.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-2738 — 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-2010-2738 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