CVE-2008-0015
Microsoft Windows · Operating systems
Microsoft Windows Video ActiveX Control Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
At a glance
Exploited. Added to CISA’s catalog of exploited vulnerabilities on February 17, 2026.
Affected product: Microsoft Windows (category Operating systems, indicative classification). Name in CISA’s catalog: Microsoft Windows.
Microsoft component: Multimedia (audio, video, codecs, speech) (Windows: services and components).
What should I do?
Apply the patches or mitigations from Microsoft; if none are available, stop using the product. For cloud services, follow the guidance from Microsoft.
Deadline set by CISA for US federal agencies: 21 days (due March 10, 2026). It only binds those agencies, but it is a useful measure of urgency.
- CVE-2008-0015 in Microsoft’s Security Update Guide
- Microsoft security advisories page (general page, not the advisory for this vulnerability)
- The vendor’s specific advisory is listed in the NVD references: CVE-2008-0015 on the NVD website.
Original text of the required action (CISA)
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Timeline
- Vulnerability published Publication date (NVD)
- Exploitation confirmed Added to CISA’s KEV catalog
- CISA deadline Remediation deadline set for US federal agencies
The facts, with their sources
- Exploitation confirmed
- Yes, on February 17, 2026 Date added to the catalog of exploited vulnerabilities. Exploitation itself may have started earlier. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Ransomware
- No known use to date That does not guarantee it is not being used: the information is not public. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Hunt for compromise
- Not requested by CISA Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA required action
- Apply the patches or mitigations from Microsoft; if none are available, stop using the product. For cloud services, follow the guidance from Microsoft. Rewritten by this site from CISA’s original text. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CISA deadline
- March 10, 2026, 21 days Set for US federal agencies: a measure of urgency, not an obligation elsewhere. Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Microsoft patch
- Not available Source: Security Update Guide, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- Vulnerability published
- July 7, 2009 Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
- Product according to CISA
- Microsoft Windows Filed by this site under “Operating systems” (indicative classification). Source: KEV catalog, collected September 29, 2026 at 14:57 UTC
- CVSS vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Technical detail of the score: attack vector, complexity, impact. Source: National Vulnerability Database (NVD), collected September 29, 2026 at 15:00 UTC
Severity and activity
Score from the vendor or CISA, relayed by the NVD. Collected Sep 29, 2026.
FIRST’s EPSS model. Since exploitation is already confirmed, this figure is mostly useful to compare activity. Collected Sep 29, 2026.
Description
Stack-based buffer overflow in the CComVariant::ReadFromStream function in the Active Template Library (ATL), as used in the MPEG2TuneRequest ActiveX control in msvidctl.dll in DirectShow, in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2, and Server 2008 Gold and SP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted web page, as exploited in the wild in July 2009, aka "Microsoft Video ActiveX Control Vulnerability."
Official description from the NVD, collected Sep 29, 2026. CVE® description © The MITRE Corporation.
Microsoft Windows Video ActiveX Control contains a remote code execution vulnerability. An attacker could exploit the vulnerability by constructing a specially crafted Web page. When a user views the Web page, the vulnerability could allow remote code execution. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain the same user rights as the logged-on user.
Summary from CISA (KEV catalog).
CERT-FR advisories
No advisory among the latest CERT-FR publications this site follows. That does not mean there are none.
Information reused under the Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab); the date of last update is shown for each advisory. This site is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by ANSSI.
Sources for this page
- CISA KEV catalog: exploitation, date added, required action, deadline, ransomware.
- Microsoft Security Update Guide: product, patch.
- NVD (NIST): CVSS severity, publication date, description, vendor references.
- EPSS (FIRST): probability of exploitation.
- CERT-FR: advisories and alerts (in French).
- Brand and category: indicative classification by this site (method).