CVE-2009-1537

Microsoft DirectX NULL Byte Overwrite Vulnerability

Actively exploited (CISA KEV) High 9.3 CVSS 2.0

Description

Unspecified vulnerability in the QuickTime Movie Parser Filter in quartz.dll in DirectShow in Microsoft DirectX 7.0 through 9.0c on Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, and Windows Server 2003 SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted QuickTime media file, as exploited in the wild in May 2009, aka "DirectX NULL Byte Overwrite Vulnerability."

Description as published by the source, in English.

Key facts

Published: 2009-05-29
Last modified: 2026-06-16
Assigned by: secure@microsoft.com
CVSS vector: AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Scored by: nvd@nist.gov (NVD Primary)
Probability of exploitation: 51.2 % higher than 99 % of all known vulnerabilities
EPSS, next 30 days, model v2026.06.15
Fix available: Yes, see references

Actively exploited

CISA added this vulnerability to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2026-05-20, with a remediation deadline of 2026-06-03 for US federal agencies.

Required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Affected products

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status
Microsoft	Directx	7.0	Affected
Microsoft	Directx	7.0a	Affected
Microsoft	Directx	7.1	Affected
Microsoft	Directx	8.1	Affected
Microsoft	Directx	8.1b	Affected
Microsoft	Directx	9.0	Affected
Microsoft	Directx	9.0a	Affected
Microsoft	Directx	9.0b	Affected
Microsoft	Directx	9.0c	Affected
Microsoft	Windows 2000	all versions listed	Affected
Microsoft	Windows 2003 Server	all versions listed	Affected
Microsoft	Windows Server 2003	all versions listed	Affected
Microsoft	Windows Xp	all versions listed	Affected

Weakness type

CWE-158: Improper Neutralization of Null Byte or NUL Character
The product receives input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes NUL characters or null bytes when they are sent to a downstream component.

References

http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2009/05/28/microsoft-security-advisory-971778-vulne… Vendor Advisory
http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/05/28/new-vulnerability-in-quicktime-parsing.as… Vendor Advisory
http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=6481 Not Applicable
http://osvdb.org/54797 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/35268 Vendor Advisory
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/971778.mspx Patch, Vendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35139 Broken Link
http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1022299= Broken Link
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-195A.html US Government Resource
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/1445 Vendor Advisory
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/1886 Vendor Advisory
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-028 Vendor Advisory
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A62… Broken Link
http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2009/05/28/microsoft-security-advisory-971778-vulne… Vendor Advisory
http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/05/28/new-vulnerability-in-quicktime-parsing.as… Vendor Advisory
http://isc.sans.org/diary.html?storyid=6481 Not Applicable
http://osvdb.org/54797 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/35268 Vendor Advisory
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/971778.mspx Patch, Vendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35139 Broken Link

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Sources and freshness

CVE

What it is: A reference number naming one specific vulnerability, for example CVE-2024-9474.
What it tells you: Which vulnerability we are talking about, and in which product.
What it does NOT tell you: Nothing about how serious it is, whether anyone is exploiting it, or whether it concerns you.
Why it matters: Without a shared number, vendor, authority and tooling cannot discuss the same flaw.
Used with the others: The number is the key. NVD, KEV and EPSS all describe the same CVE.

NVD CWE CISA KEV EPSS

How to read this together

No single value should be used on its own. A high CVSS score does not mean a vulnerability is being exploited, and a low one does not mean it is harmless. The four sources answer four different questions.

CVE names the specific vulnerability.
NVD adds severity and technical detail about it.
CWE describes the type of mistake behind it.
CISA KEV shows that it is already being exploited.
EPSS estimates how likely exploitation is soon.

The order that decides what is urgent

Do you actually have the product?
Is the version you run affected?
Is it listed in CISA KEV?
Does it have a high EPSS score?
Is the system reachable from the internet or from others?
How important is the system to the business?
Are there compensating controls already in place?

The first two questions are not about the vulnerability at all. They are about you, and they remove most of the list before you start.

A short example

Fix this week

CVSS 6,5 (medium)

In CISA KEV: yes
EPSS: 94 per cent
A firewall facing the internet

Can be scheduled

CVSS 9,8 (critical)

In CISA KEV: no
EPSS: 0,04 per cent
A test server with no internet access

Sorted by CVSS alone, the one on the right comes first. It is the more serious flaw in theory. But the one on the left is being used against real organisations right now, and it sits where an attacker can reach it. That is the one to fix first.

The critical one still has to be fixed. It just does not have to be fixed today.

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. CVE and the CVE logo are registered trademarks of The MITRE Corporation; CVE records are used under the CVE Terms of Use. CWE is a trademark of The MITRE Corporation, used per the CWE Terms of Use. KEV data from CISA (CC0). Exploitation probability from EPSS, a FIRST.org project. Open-source package data from OSV and the GitHub Advisory Database (CC-BY 4.0).

Scores and vectors are shown as published by the sources. The ordering of results is Berigo's own editorial assessment, described on the search page, and is not NVD data. An empty result never means a system is safe.