# CVE-2019-0985: Microsoft Speech API Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

> An attacker can execute arbitrary code by tricking a user into opening a crafted document with malicious TTS content in the Microsoft Speech API.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Jun 2019
- **Updated:** 20 May 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-cg3q-ffg6-3wcg

## What is CVE-2019-0985?

CVE-2019-0985 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 7, published on 12 Jun 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

A remote code execution vulnerability exists when the Microsoft Speech API (SAPI) improperly handles text-to-speech (TTS) input. The vulnerability could corrupt memory in a way that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the current user.
To exploit the vulnerability, an attacker would need to convince a user to open a specially crafted document containing TTS content invoked through a scripting language.
The update address the vulnerability by modifying how the system handles objects in memory.

Weakness: CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2019-0985?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Server 2008.

## How do I fix CVE-2019-0985?

No fix has been published for CVE-2019-0985 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2019-0985 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-0985 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 7

- [CVE-2015-1635](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-1635/): Microsoft HTTP.sys Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2360](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2360/): Microsoft Win32k Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-6324](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-6324/): Microsoft Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC) Privilege Escalation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-6332](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-6332/): Microsoft Windows Object Linking & Embedding (OLE) Automation Array Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2014-4148](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-4148/): Microsoft Windows Remote Code Execution (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2019-0985 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2019-0985 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 7, published on 12 Jun 2019. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2019-0985 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 7. 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-2019-0985/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-0985/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-0985
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-0985
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2019-0985

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-0985/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.