CVE-2008-0015
Microsoft Windows Video ActiveX Control Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
Description
CVE-2008-0015 is a high-severity stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the Microsoft Video ActiveX Control (msvidctl.dll) in Microsoft DirectShow. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by enticing a user to visit a crafted web page that triggers memory corruption in the ActiveX control. Rated CVSS v3.1 base score 8.8 (High severity) with a vector of CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, the flaw requires user interaction (visiting a malicious page) but delivers maximum impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Microsoft confirmed this vulnerability was actively exploited in the wild and released a security update through bulletin MS09-032. The vulnerability is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog with a remediation deadline of March 10, 2026, and has an exceptionally high EPSS score of 0.95818 (99.81st percentile), placing it among the most exploited vulnerabilities ever cataloged.
KEV Information
CVSS Score
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HOpen in CalculatorCWEs
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Version |
|---|---|---|
| microsoft | windows 2003 server | - |
| microsoft | windows xp | - |
References
- http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/08/11/ms09-037-why-we-are-using-cve-s-already-used-in-ms09-035.aspx(Broken Link)
- http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=6733(Exploit)
- http://osvdb.org/55651(Broken Link)
- http://secunia.com/advisories/36187(Broken Link)
- http://www.csis.dk/dk/nyheder/nyheder.asp?tekstID=799(Exploit)
- http://www.iss.net/threats/329.html(Exploit)
- http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/180513(US Government Resource)
- http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/972890.mspx(Vendor Advisory)
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35558(Broken Link)
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35585(Broken Link)
- http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1022514(Broken Link)
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-187A.html(US Government Resource)
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-195A.html(US Government Resource)
- http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-223A.html(US Government Resource)
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2232(Broken Link)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-032(Third Party Advisory)
- https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-037(Third Party Advisory)
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A6333(Broken Link)
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A6363(Broken Link)
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A7436(Broken Link)
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2008-0015(US Government Resource)
Weakness Type
CWE-119: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
The primary weakness classification for CVE-2008-0015 is CWE-119, which covers software that performs operations on a memory buffer without properly ensuring that the operations stay within the buffer's intended boundaries. The vulnerability is more specifically categorized as CWE-121: Stack-based Buffer Overflow, where user-controlled input overflows a stack-allocated buffer, corrupting adjacent stack memory including return addresses and saved registers.
CWE-121: Stack-based Buffer Overflow
In the context of CVE-2008-0015, the msvidctl.dll library processes data from a web page through the Microsoft Video ActiveX Control without adequately validating the size of the input. When a specially crafted web page provides oversized data to the control, it overflows a stack buffer, overwriting the return address and allowing the attacker to redirect execution to arbitrary code. Stack-based buffer overflows are among the most exploitable memory corruption primitives because the attacker can reliably control the instruction pointer through the overwritten return address.
Impact Analysis
Arbitrary Code Execution is the direct consequence of exploiting CVE-2008-0015. A successful attack grants the attacker the ability to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running Internet Explorer. On Windows XP and many Windows Vista/Server configurations of that era, users frequently operated with administrative privileges, meaning exploitation often resulted in complete system compromise.
Confidentiality Impact is maximum (C:H). An attacker executing arbitrary code can access all files, credentials, and data available to the compromised user account. This includes documents, stored passwords, email data, browser cookies, and any network resources accessible with the user's credentials.
Integrity Impact is maximum (I:H). With code execution, an attacker can modify system files, install malware, alter registry settings, create backdoor accounts, and make any other changes to the system. The attacker can install persistent rootkits or trojans that survive reboots and maintain ongoing access.
Availability Impact is maximum (A:H). The attacker can crash the system, install ransomware, delete files, disable security software, or otherwise render the system inoperable. The initial exploitation itself causes memory corruption that can lead to process crashes if the exploit fails to achieve clean code execution.
Scale of Impact was historically enormous. The vulnerability affected all supported Windows operating systems at the time, including Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008. The ActiveX control was installed by default with DirectShow, which was present on virtually every Windows installation. The EPSS score of 0.95818 (99.81st percentile) reflects both historical and ongoing exploitation, making this one of the most exploited vulnerabilities in the entire CVE database.
Exploit Maturity
CVE-2008-0015 was confirmed as actively exploited in the wild before Microsoft released a patch, making it a true zero-day vulnerability at the time of disclosure. Microsoft acknowledged active exploitation in their security bulletin MS09-032. The EPSS score of 0.95818 (99.81st percentile) is among the highest possible, indicating that this vulnerability has been and continues to be one of the most frequently targeted CVEs across the entire vulnerability landscape.
Zero-Day Exploitation History: The vulnerability was discovered being actively exploited in targeted attacks before Microsoft had an available patch. Microsoft initially released Security Advisory 972890 with mitigations before the full security update MS09-032 was available, reflecting the urgency of the threat. The initial attacks used crafted web pages that triggered the buffer overflow when visited with Internet Explorer.
Widespread Exploit Availability: Multiple exploit implementations have been publicly available for over a decade, including integration into exploit frameworks. The reliability of stack-based buffer overflow exploitation in the Windows XP era, combined with the prevalence of the vulnerable ActiveX control, made this vulnerability a staple in drive-by download campaigns and exploit kits. US-CERT documented the vulnerability extensively at VU#180513.
Continued Relevance: Despite being disclosed in 2009, the vulnerability remains in CISA's KEV catalog with a 2026 remediation deadline, indicating that vulnerable systems still exist in operational environments. Legacy Windows XP and Server 2003 systems in industrial control, healthcare, and government networks may remain unpatched. The ransomware association is listed as "Unknown" by CISA.
Remediation
Apply Microsoft Security Update MS09-032. The primary remediation is to install the security update documented in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-032, which sets the kill bit for the vulnerable ActiveX control to prevent Internet Explorer from instantiating it. This update is available through Windows Update and the Microsoft Download Center for all affected platforms.
Upgrade Legacy Operating Systems wherever possible. The affected platforms, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008, are all end-of-life and no longer receive security updates. Migrating to supported Windows versions eliminates this vulnerability along with hundreds of other unpatched security issues in these legacy operating systems.
Set the Kill Bit Manually as an immediate mitigation if patching is delayed. The kill bit for the Microsoft Video ActiveX Control (CLSID {0955AC62-BF2E-4CBA-A2B9-A63F772D46CF}) can be set in the Windows registry to prevent Internet Explorer from loading the vulnerable control. This is the same action performed by the MS09-032 update and effectively neutralizes the attack vector.
Disable ActiveX Controls in Internet Explorer as a defense-in-depth measure for legacy systems that cannot be updated. Configure Internet Explorer security zones to disable or prompt for ActiveX control execution. Alternatively, use Group Policy to restrict ActiveX control loading across managed environments.
Implement Network-Level Protections for environments where legacy systems must remain operational. Deploy intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) with signatures for CVE-2008-0015 exploit traffic. Use web content filtering to block access to known malicious sites serving exploits for this vulnerability.
Isolate Legacy Systems that cannot be patched or upgraded. Place them on restricted network segments with no direct internet access and minimal lateral connectivity. Implement application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized code even if the vulnerability is exploited through a proxied connection.
Technical Details
CVE-2008-0015 is a stack-based buffer overflow in the Microsoft Video ActiveX Control implemented in msvidctl.dll, a component of Microsoft DirectShow. The vulnerability is triggered when Internet Explorer loads a web page that instantiates the vulnerable ActiveX control and passes it specially crafted data that exceeds the size of a stack-allocated buffer.
Vulnerability Mechanics: The msvidctl.dll library allocates a fixed-size buffer on the stack to process certain data received through the ActiveX control interface. When a malicious web page provides data larger than the expected buffer size, the excess data overwrites adjacent stack memory, including the saved return address of the current function. By carefully crafting the overflow data, an attacker can control the overwritten return address and redirect execution to attacker-supplied shellcode when the function returns.
Affected Component: The Microsoft Video ActiveX Control (CLSID {0955AC62-BF2E-4CBA-A2B9-A63F772D46CF}) is registered in msvidctl.dll and is loaded by Internet Explorer when a web page references it through an <object> tag or equivalent mechanism. The control was designed for media streaming functionality in DirectShow and was installed by default on all affected Windows versions.
Exploitation Vector: The attack requires a user to visit a malicious web page with Internet Explorer (UI:R in the CVSS vector). The web page contains HTML that instantiates the vulnerable ActiveX control and provides specially crafted parameters that trigger the buffer overflow. Because ActiveX controls run within the Internet Explorer process, successful exploitation grants code execution with the privileges of the IE process, which inherits the privileges of the logged-in user.
Affected Platforms: The vulnerability affects msvidctl.dll on Windows XP (all service packs), Windows Server 2003 (all service packs), Windows Vista (all service packs), and Windows Server 2008. The affected DLL was present on virtually every Windows installation of these versions because DirectShow was a core media framework component.
Exploit Reliability: Stack-based buffer overflows on Windows XP and early Vista were highly reliable to exploit due to limited memory protection mechanisms. While Vista introduced ASLR and DEP, many configurations did not have these protections enabled for Internet Explorer or its loaded DLLs, and bypass techniques were available. The combination of universal presence, browser-based attack vector, and reliable exploitability made CVE-2008-0015 an ideal candidate for mass exploitation through drive-by download campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2008-0015?
CVE-2008-0015 is a stack-based buffer overflow in Microsoft's Video ActiveX Control (msvidctl.dll) that allows remote code execution when a user visits a crafted web page. It was exploited as a zero-day vulnerability before Microsoft released the MS09-032 security update.
Why is a vulnerability from 2008/2009 still relevant?
Despite being disclosed in 2009, CVE-2008-0015 remains in CISA's KEV catalog because legacy Windows systems (XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008) still exist in operational environments. Its EPSS score of 0.95818 (99.81st percentile) is among the highest ever recorded, reflecting ongoing exploitation against unpatched systems.
Which systems are affected by CVE-2008-0015?
Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Server 2008 are affected. The vulnerable msvidctl.dll component was installed by default as part of DirectShow on all these platforms. Modern Windows versions (Windows 7 and later) are not affected by this specific vulnerability.
How is CVE-2008-0015 exploited?
An attacker creates a malicious web page that instantiates the Microsoft Video ActiveX Control and passes it crafted data that overflows a stack buffer. When a user visits this page with Internet Explorer, the overflow overwrites the return address on the stack, redirecting execution to the attacker's shellcode.
Was CVE-2008-0015 a zero-day vulnerability?
Yes. Microsoft confirmed that the vulnerability was being actively exploited in the wild before a security patch was available. Microsoft initially released Security Advisory 972890 with temporary mitigations before publishing the full security update MS09-032.
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