How severe is CVE-2005-3981?

CVE-2005-3981 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.9, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2005-3981 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2005-3981?

CVE-2005-3981 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 2000. In total, 21 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2005-3981?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2005-3981 published?

CVE-2005-3981 was published on 2005-12-04 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2005-3981

CVE-2005-3981 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2000 with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.9. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 4.9)
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Microsoft Windows 2000
Published: 2005-12-04
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

NOTE: this issue has been disputed by third parties. Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, and 2003 allows local users to kill a writable process by using the CreateRemoteThread function with certain arguments on a process that has been opened using the OpenProcess function, possibly involving an invalid address for the start routine. NOTE: followup posts have disputed this issue, saying that if a user already has privileges to write to a process, then other functions could be called or the process could be terminated using PROCESS_TERMINATE

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2005-3981?: NOTE: this issue has been disputed by third parties. Microsoft Windows XP, 2000, and 2003 allows local users to kill a writable process by using the CreateRemoteThread function with certain arguments on a process that has been opened using the OpenProcess function, possibly involving an invalid address for the start routine. NOTE: followup posts have disputed this issue, saying that if a user already has privileges to write to a process, then other functions could be called or the process could be terminated using PROCESS_TERMINATE
How severe is CVE-2005-3981?: CVE-2005-3981 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.9, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2005-3981 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2005-3981?: CVE-2005-3981 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 2000. In total, 21 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2005-3981?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2005-3981 published?: CVE-2005-3981 was published on 2005-12-04 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (21)

cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2000:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2000:*:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2000:*:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2000:*:sp3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2000:*:sp4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2003_server:enterprise:*:64-bit:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2003_server:enterprise:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2003_server:r2:*:64-bit:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2003_server:r2:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2003_server:standard:*:64-bit:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2003_server:standard:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2003_server:web:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_2003_server:web:sp1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:*:home:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:*:media_center:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:gold:professional:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:sp1:home:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:sp1:media_center:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:sp2:home:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:sp2:media_center:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_xp:*:sp2:tablet_pc:*:*:*:*:*

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