Microsoft Windows 2000/XP Workstation Service stack-based overflow

CVSS Meta Temp Score
CVSS is a standardized scoring system to determine possibilities of attacks. The Temp Score considers temporal factors like disclosure, exploit and countermeasures. The unique Meta Score calculates the average score of different sources to provide a normalized scoring system.
Current Exploit Price (≈)
Our analysts are monitoring exploit markets and are in contact with vulnerability brokers. The range indicates the observed or calculated exploit price to be seen on exploit markets. A good indicator to understand the monetary effort required for and the popularity of an attack.
CTI Interest Score
Our Cyber Threat Intelligence team is monitoring different web sites, mailing lists, exploit markets and social media networks. The CTI Interest Score identifies the interest of attackers and the security community for this specific vulnerability in real-time. A high score indicates an elevated risk to be targeted for this vulnerability.
5.4$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Microsoft Windows 2000/XP. It has been classified as very critical. This impacts an unknown function of the component Workstation Service. The manipulation leads to stack-based overflow. This vulnerability is listed as CVE-2003-0812. The attack may be initiated remotely. In addition, an exploit is available. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Microsoft Windows 2000/XP (Operating System) and classified as critical. This issue affects an unknown code block of the component Workstation Service. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a stack-based overflow vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-121. A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function). Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

Stack-based buffer overflow in a logging function for Windows Workstation Service (WKSSVC.DLL) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via RPC calls that cause long entries to be written to a debug log file ("NetSetup.LOG"), as demonstrated using the NetAddAlternateComputerName API.

The bug was discovered 09/15/2003. The weakness was presented 11/11/2003 by Yuji Ukai (DiGiT) with eEye Digital Security as MS03-049 as confirmed bulletin (Technet). It is possible to read the advisory at microsoft.com. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2003-0812 since 09/18/2003. The attack may be initiated remotely. No form of authentication is needed for a successful exploitation. Technical details are unknown but a public exploit is available.

After immediately, there has been an exploit disclosed. The exploit is available at securiteam.com. It is declared as highly functional. The vulnerability was handled as a non-public zero-day exploit for at least 1363 days. During that time the estimated underground price was around $25k-$100k. The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 11921 (MS03-049: Buffer Overflow in the Workstation Service (828749)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment. It is assigned to the family Windows : Microsoft Bulletins and running in the context l. The commercial vulnerability scanner Qualys is able to test this issue with plugin 90078 (Microsoft Windows Workstation Service Remote Buffer Overflow Vulnerability (MS03-049)).

Applying the patch MS03-049 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at windowsupdate.microsoft.com. A possible mitigation has been published immediately after the disclosure of the vulnerability. Attack attempts may be identified with Snort ID 8925. In this case the pattern |05 00 00| is used for detection. Furthermore it is possible to detect and prevent this kind of attack with TippingPoint and the filter 2487.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at X-Force (13639), Exploit-DB (119), Tenable (11921), SecurityFocus (BID 9011†) and OSVDB (11461†). microsoft.com is providing further details. Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Type

Vendor

Name

Version

License

Support

  • end of life (old version)

Website

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 5.6
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 5.4

VulDB Base Score: 5.6
VulDB Temp Score: 5.4
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
💳💳💳💳💳💳
💳💳💳💳💳💳
💳💳💳💳💳💳
VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
UnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock
UnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock
UnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock

VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Stack-based overflow
CWE: CWE-121 / CWE-119
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔍
Access: Public
Status: Highly functional
Download: 🔍

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

0-DayUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock
TodayUnlockUnlockUnlockUnlock

Nessus ID: 11921
Nessus Name: MS03-049: Buffer Overflow in the Workstation Service (828749)
Nessus File: 🔍
Nessus Risk: 🔍
Nessus Family: 🔍
Nessus Context: 🔍

Qualys ID: 🔍
Qualys Name: 🔍

MetaSploit ID: ms03_049_netapi.rb
MetaSploit Name: MS03-049 Microsoft Workstation Service NetAddAlternateComputerName Overflow
MetaSploit File: 🔍

Exploit-DB: 🔍

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Patch
Status: 🔍

Reaction Time: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔍
Exposure Time: 🔍
Exploit Delay Time: 🔍

Patch: MS03-049

Snort ID: 8925
Snort Message: NETBIOS DCERPC NCACN-IP-TCP wkssvc NetrAddAlternateComputerName overflow attempt
Snort Pattern: 🔍

Suricata ID: 2102315
Suricata Class: 🔍
Suricata Message: 🔍

TippingPoint: 🔍

McAfee IPS: 🔍
McAfee IPS Version: 🔍

SourceFire IPS: 🔍
ISS Proventia IPS: 🔍
PaloAlto IPS: 🔍
Fortigate IPS: 🔍

Timelineinfo

02/17/2000 🔍
09/15/2003 +1306 days 🔍
09/18/2003 +3 days 🔍
11/11/2003 +54 days 🔍
11/11/2003 +0 days 🔍
11/11/2003 +0 days 🔍
11/11/2003 +0 days 🔍
11/11/2003 +0 days 🔍
11/11/2003 +0 days 🔍
11/11/2003 +0 days 🔍
11/12/2003 +1 days 🔍
11/13/2003 +1 days 🔍
12/15/2003 +32 days 🔍
04/09/2004 +115 days 🔍
07/24/2025 +7776 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: microsoft.com
Product: microsoft.com

Advisory: MS03-049
Researcher: Yuji Ukai (DiGiT)
Organization: eEye Digital Security
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2003-0812 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2003-0812
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-383

OVAL: 🔍

CERT: 🔍
X-Force: 13639 - Microsoft Windows Workstation buffer overflow, High Risk
SecurityFocus: 9011 - Microsoft Windows Workstation Service Remote Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
Secunia: 10193 - Microsoft Windows Workstation Service Buffer Overflow, Highly Critical
OSVDB: 11461 - Microsoft Windows Workstation Service WKSSVC.DLL Logging Function Remote Overflow
SecuriTeam: securiteam.com
Vulnerability Center: 2826 - [MS03-049] Buffer Overflow in Windows 2000, XP in Workstation Service, Critical

scip Labs: https://www.scip.ch/en/?labs.20161013
Misc.: 🔍

Entryinfo

Created: 11/12/2003 10:37
Updated: 07/24/2025 05:10
Changes: 11/12/2003 10:37 (118), 06/27/2019 09:18 (4), 12/31/2024 07:40 (16), 07/24/2025 05:10 (2)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Discussion

No comments yet. Languages: en.

Please log in to comment.

◂ PreviousOverviewNext ▸

Do you know our Splunk app?

Download it now for free!