The Server service in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Vista Gold and SP1, Server 2008, and 7 Pre-Beta a
Affects the Server service in Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2/SP3, Server 2003 SP1/SP2, Vista, Server 2008 and 7 Pre-Beta, including Server Core installs. No vendor rating is given. A security update fixes it.
- Published
- Last modified
- Where the record stands: published, rejected by its publisher, or superseded by another id.What do these mean? →
- published
- Whether CISA lists it in its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog: proof that attackers are using it.What do these mean? →
- Listed in CISA KEV
- How many real-world setups can hit the bug, from the vendor's advisory and CISA data. It does not know your setup.What do these mean? →
- Actively exploited
- Whether working attack code is public (Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei or GitHub). Public code makes attacks easier.What do these mean? →
- None on Exploit-DB, Metasploit or GitHub
Summary
The Server service in several older Microsoft Windows desktop and server editions is affected. A remote attacker could exploit it by sending a specially crafted network request, allowing them to run arbitrary code on the affected system.
Summarized by anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5. Verify details against the original sources.
Read the original description
The Server service in Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Vista Gold and SP1, Server 2008, and 7 Pre-Beta allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted RPC request that triggers the overflow during path canonicalization, as exploited in the wild by Gimmiv.A in October 2008, aka "Server Service Vulnerability."
Timeline
- CVE published
- Added to CISA KEV
CISA has evidence of exploitation in the wild
- Record last updated
- CISA remediation deadline
Due date for US federal agencies to patch
- EPSS reached 10%
FIRST estimates at least a 10% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Affected versions
- n/a n/a
Version range not reported
References 18
secunia.com
kb.cert.org
securitytracker.com
docs.microsoft.com
blogs.securiteam.com
vupen.com
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com
oval.cisecurity.org
Questions about CVE-2008-4250
What does this mean?
The Server service mishandles RPC requests. A remote attacker who succeeds could take complete control of the affected Windows system.Source: learn.microsoft.com
Am I affected, and how do I check?
The advisory lists Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, Server 2003 SP1 and SP2, Vista Gold and SP1, Server 2008 (including Server Core installations), and 7 Pre-Beta. A reader can check their edition and service pack against that list.Source: learn.microsoft.com
What should I do about it?
Install the Microsoft security update, which corrects how the Server service handles RPC requests. The facts do not name a fixed version number.Source: learn.microsoft.com
Is it being exploited?
Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-05-20, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.Source: cisa.gov, cve.now feed data
What if there's no patch?
Disable the Computer Browser and Server services as a workaround until the update is installed.Source: learn.microsoft.com