CVEs / CVE-2009-1537
CVE-2009-1537: Microsoft DirectX NULL Byte Overwrite Vulnerability
- Known exploited in the CISA KEV catalog since 20 May 2026
- high 9.3 CVSS 2.0 (NVD)
- EPSS 51.3% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 98% of CVEs (30 Oct 2026)
- Last changed at its sources
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Summary
Microsoft DirectX contains a NULL byte overwrite vulnerability in the QuickTime Movie Parser Filter in quartz.dll in DirectShow which could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted QuickTime media file.
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."
Affected and fixed versions
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| n/a n/a | n/a | — |
Exploitation
| In CISA KEV since | 20 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Due date for US federal agencies | 3 Jun 2026 |
| Used in ransomware campaigns | Unknown |
| 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. |
Severity
| CVSS 2.0 | 9.3 highAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:CScored by NVD |
|---|---|
| Weakness | CWE-158 |
References
- CVE-2009-1537 on NVD
- CVE-2009-1537 in the CISA KEV catalog
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2009/ms09-028 (cited by CISA)
- http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2009/05/28/microsoft-security-advisory-971778-vulnerability-in-microsoft-directshow-released.aspx Vendor Advisory
- http://blogs.technet.com/srd/archive/2009/05/28/new-vulnerability-in-quicktime-parsing.aspx 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%3A6237 Broken Link
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2009-1537 US Government Resource
Sources
Exploitation status from the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. EPSS scores from FIRST. Descriptions, severity and references from the National Vulnerability Database. Open-source package versions from OSV (CC-BY 4.0). Text is shown as each source states it; Stackurity does not edit it. Check the vendor's advisory before acting.
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.