# CVE-2004-1080: Memory corruption in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code on Windows Server via a memory corruption vulnerability in the WINS service.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Dec 2004
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-438w-xvxp-m9c6

## What is CVE-2004-1080?

CVE-2004-1080 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2000, published on 1 Dec 2004. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The WINS service (wins.exe) on Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, and Windows Server 2003 allows remote attackers to write to arbitrary memory locations and possibly execute arbitrary code via a modified memory pointer in a WINS replication packet to TCP port 42, aka the "Association Context Vulnerability."

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2004-1080?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, Microsoft Windows Nt.

## How do I fix CVE-2004-1080?

No fix has been published for CVE-2004-1080 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2004-1080 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2004-1080 exists.

Public exploit code:

- MS04-045 Microsoft WINS Service Memory Overwrite (metasploit)
- Microsoft Windows - 'WINS' Remote Buffer Overflow (MS04-045) (3) (exploitdb)
- Microsoft WINS - Service Memory Overwrite (MS04-045) (Metasploit) (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-2004-1080 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2004-1080 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2000, published on 1 Dec 2004. 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-2004-1080 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-2004-1080/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1080/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-1080
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2004-1080
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2004-1080

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1080/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.