CVE-2008-3465

CVE-2008-3465 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2000 with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 14% places it in the 96th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in an API in GDI in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Vista Gold and SP1, and Server 2008 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code via a WMF file with a malformed file-size parameter, which would not be properly handled by a third-party application that uses this API for a copy operation, aka "GDI Heap Overflow Vulnerability."

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-3465?
Heap-based buffer overflow in an API in GDI in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Vista Gold and SP1, and Server 2008 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code via a WMF file with a malformed file-size parameter, which would not be properly handled by a third-party application that uses this API for a copy operation, aka "GDI Heap Overflow Vulnerability."
How severe is CVE-2008-3465?
CVE-2008-3465 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2008-3465 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 14% (96th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-3465?
CVE-2008-3465 primarily affects Microsoft Windows 2000. In total, 17 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-3465?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2008-3465 published?
CVE-2008-3465 was published on 2008-12-10 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (17)

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