CVE-2009-1537
Published on May 29, 2009
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."
Known Exploited Vulnerability
This Microsoft DirectX NULL Byte Overwrite Vulnerability is part of CISA's list of Known Exploited Vulnerabilities. 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.
The following remediation steps are recommended / required by June 3, 2026: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2009-1537 can be exploited with network access, requires user interaction. This vulnerability is considered to have a low attack complexity. This vulnerability is known to be actively exploited by threat actors. The potential impact of an exploit of this vulnerability is considered to be very high.
Weakness Type
Improper Neutralization of Null Byte or NUL Character
The software 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. As data is parsed, an injected NUL character or null byte may cause the software to believe the input is terminated earlier than it actually is, or otherwise cause the input to be misinterpreted. This could then be used to inject potentially dangerous input that occurs after the null byte or otherwise bypass validation routines and other protection mechanisms.
Exploit Probability
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) scores estimate the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. The percentile shows you how this score compares to all other vulnerabilities.