# CVE-2003-0605: Null dereference in n/a

> Remote attackers can crash Windows via RPC DCOM, while local attackers can exploit this to hijack pipes and gain privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 29 Jul 2003
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fvvx-2crq-42fr

## What is CVE-2003-0605?

CVE-2003-0605 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2000, published on 29 Jul 2003. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The RPC DCOM interface in Windows 2000 SP3 and SP4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash), and local attackers to use the DoS to hijack the epmapper pipe to gain privileges, via certain messages to the __RemoteGetClassObject interface that cause a NULL pointer to be passed to the PerformScmStage function.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2003-0605?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microsoft Windows 2000.

## How do I fix CVE-2003-0605?

No fix has been published for CVE-2003-0605 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2003-0605 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2003-0605 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Microsoft Windows Server 2000 - RPC DCOM Interface Denial of Service (exploitdb)
- Microsoft Windows - 'RPC DCOM' Remote Buffer Overflow (exploitdb)
- Microsoft Windows XP/2000 - 'RPC DCOM' Remote (MS03-026) (exploitdb)
- Microsoft Windows - 'RPC DCOM' Remote (1) (exploitdb)
- Microsoft Windows - 'RPC DCOM' Remote (2) (exploitdb)
- Microsoft Windows - 'RPC DCOM' Remote (Universal) (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 2000

- [CVE-2008-4250](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-4250/): Microsoft Windows Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2010-0232](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0232/): Microsoft Windows Kernel Exception Handler (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2009-1123](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1123/): Microsoft Windows Improper Input Validation (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2002-0367](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-0367/): Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2010-0269](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0269/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2003-0605 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2003-0605 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2000, published on 29 Jul 2003. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2003-0605 exists.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 2000. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0605/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0605/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2003-0605
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2003-0605
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2003-0605

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0605/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.