CVE-2019-0903 Microsoft Graphics Device Interface (GDI): command or code injection
In plain words: The program treats text it receives as instructions instead of plain data. The attacker can run commands on the machine — often the whole device is taken over.
Confirmed exploited by CISA on · US federal patch deadline Apr 15, 2022
What to do
- Install Microsoft's security update for Graphics Device Interface (GDI). If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships.
- Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
- Patch anything in this catalog first, ahead of normal patch cycles.
- Put admin and file-transfer apps behind a VPN or single sign-on instead of the open internet.
Who is affected
Work IT. Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.
What's at risk: Mass data theft and ransomware: a single flaw in a file-transfer or email server has exposed thousands of organisations at once.
The details
- Official name
- Microsoft GDI Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- Product
- Microsoft Graphics Device Interface (GDI)
- CISA description
- A remote code execution vulnerability exists in the way that the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) handles objects in the memory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could take control of the affected system.
- Type of flaw
- Command or code injection
- Confirmed exploited
- Mar 25, 2022
- US federal patch deadline
- Apr 15, 2022
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Answering about CVE-2019-0903 ·
Questions about CVE-2019-0903
Is CVE-2019-0903 being exploited?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2019-0903 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on Mar 25, 2022, which means there is reliable evidence of real-world attacks.
How do I fix CVE-2019-0903?
Install Microsoft's security update for Graphics Device Interface (GDI). If no update exists, follow the vendor's workaround or stop using the product until one ships. Keep a list of every internet-facing server you run so nothing is forgotten.
Am I affected by CVE-2019-0903?
Only if you use Microsoft Graphics Device Interface (GDI). Aimed mostly at company systems — you are affected through the companies you use, not your own phone.