dbcve.org
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system · Microsoft

CVE-2010-3939

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-12-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
77/100
Remediation priority · High
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
Buffer overflow in win32k.sys in the kernel-mode drivers in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, and R2, and Windows 7 allows local users to gain privileges via vectors related to improper memory allocation for copies from user mode, aka "Win32k 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 win32k.sys (Windows kernel-mode driver) allowing local privilege escalation through improper memory allocation when copying data from user mode. Affects Windows XP through Windows 7 and Windows Server 2003-2008 R2.

MitigationApply Microsoft security patches (MS10-073) to address the kernel-mode driver vulnerability; this is a local privilege escalation requiring authenticated local access, not remote exploitation.

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 7Operating system
Affected:all versions
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

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
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 checks

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

  1. Confirm Windows version is in affected range
    Run 'winver' or check System Properties to identify the Windows version. Affected versions are: Windows XP (all versions), Windows Vista (all versions), Windows 7 (all versions), Windows Server 2003 (all versions), Windows Server 2008 (all versions), Windows Server 2008 R2.
    Affected if The installed Windows version matches any of the listed affected versions (XP, Vista, 7, Server 2003, Server 2008, Server 2008 R2)
  2. Verify win32k.sys is present
    Check that the file win32k.sys exists in the system directory (typically C:\Windows\System32\drivers\win32k.sys). This driver is loaded on all Windows systems with a graphical interface.
    Affected if The system has a graphical interface and win32k.sys is present (this is true for virtually all affected systems)
  3. Check if MS10-073 patch is applied
    Open Control Panel > Programs > View installed updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' command to list installed hotfixes. Look for security update KB981957 or MS10-073 in the installed updates list.
    Affected if The security update MS10-073 (KB981957) is NOT installed - the system is vulnerable

A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable Windows version (XP through 7, Server 2003-2008 R2) AND the MS10-073 security patch has not been applied.

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 Microsoft security patches (MS10-073) to address the kernel-mode driver vulnerability; this is a local privilege escalation requiring authenticated local access, not remote exploitation.

Fix this in Windows 2003 Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,540
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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-2010-3939 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