dbcve.org
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system · Microsoft

CVE-2015-2369

MEDIUM · 6.9 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-07-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Untrusted search path vulnerability in Windows Media Device Manager in Microsoft Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2 and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 SP1 allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in the current working directory, as demonstrated by a directory that contains a .rtf file, aka "DLL Planting Remote Code Execution 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

This is a DLL planting/untrusted search path vulnerability in Windows Media Device Manager. The application loads DLLs from the current working directory without validating the path, allowing a local attacker to place a malicious DLL (e.g., in a directory containing .rtf files) that gets executed with elevated privileges when the application processes files in that directory.

MitigationApply the appropriate Microsoft security update for this CVE. Additionally, ensure Safe DLL Search Mode is enabled (default on newer Windows) and avoid opening or processing files from untrusted or shared network directories.

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 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions= r2
Windows VistaOperating 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
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:L/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. Confirm Windows version is affected
    Run 'winver' or check System Properties to identify the Windows version and build number
    Affected if Version shows Windows 2003 Server, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Vista (any build)
  2. Verify Windows Media Device Manager component is present
    Check for the presence of wmdm.exe or wmdrmsdk.dll in the system (typically in System32 or Program Files directories)
    Affected if Windows Media Device Manager files (wmdm.exe, wmdrmsdk.dll) exist on the system
  3. Check Safe DLL Search Mode configuration
    Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager, check the value of 'SafeDllSearchMode' (1 = enabled, 0 = disabled)
    Affected if SafeDllSearchMode is set to 0 (disabled), or the value does not exist on Windows Vista/7/2003 (meaning default secure behavior may vary)
  4. Verify application execution context
    Review if the Windows Media Device Manager service is configured to run with elevated privileges or as a specific user account
    Affected if Service runs with elevated privileges or SYSTEM account and processes files from user-accessible directories
  5. Identify directories where media files are processed
    Check common locations where .rtf or media files are stored and processed, or review application usage patterns
    Affected if User-controlled directories containing media files are accessible for DLL placement

System is likely affected if running a vulnerable Windows version with Windows Media Device Manager present and Safe DLL Search Mode is disabled or not properly enforced.

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 appropriate Microsoft security update for this CVE. Additionally, ensure Safe DLL Search Mode is enabled (default on newer Windows) and avoid opening or processing files from untrusted or shared network directories.

Fix this in Windows 2003 Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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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-2015-2369 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