# CVE-2009-2493: Code injection in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code via crafted HTML documents exploiting improper restrictions in the Microsoft Active Template Library.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 29 Jul 2009
- **Updated:** 27 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xrpm-74v3-f6fq

## What is CVE-2009-2493?

CVE-2009-2493 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio, published on 29 Jul 2009. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The Active Template Library (ATL) in Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 SP1, Visual Studio 2005 SP1 and 2008 Gold and SP1, and Visual C++ 2005 SP1 and 2008 Gold and SP1; and Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2, and Server 2008 Gold and SP2; does not properly restrict use of OleLoadFromStream in instantiating objects from data streams, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted HTML document with an ATL (1) component or (2) control, related to ATL headers and bypassing security policies, aka "ATL COM Initialization Vulnerability."

Weakness: CWE-264, CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-2493?

It affects 7 products.


Products: Microsoft Visual C\+\+, Microsoft Visual Studio, Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 2003 Server, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Xp.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-2493?

No fix has been published for CVE-2009-2493 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2009-2493 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-2493 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Visual Studio

- [CVE-2009-0901](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0901/): Code injection in n/a (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2009-2495](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-2495/): Information disclosure in n/a (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2007-0842](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-0842/): Denial of service in n/a (medium 5.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-2493 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-2493 is a high-severity code injection vulnerability in Microsoft Visual Studio, published on 29 Jul 2009. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-2493 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Visual Studio. 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-2009-2493/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-2493/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-2493
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-2493
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-2493

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-2493/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.