What’s Vulnerable › Vulnerabilities

CVE-2010-2568: Microsoft Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

• Severity: critical (CVSS 9.3 v2.0)
• Exploited in the wild: yes — in CISA KEV since 2022-09-15
• EPSS: 89.6% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
• Public exploit or detection template: yes
• Published: 2010-07-22 · updated 2026-06-16

Description

Windows Shell in Microsoft Windows XP SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1 and SP2, Server 2008 SP2 and R2, and Windows 7 allows local users or remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) .LNK or (2) .PIF shortcut file, which is not properly handled during icon display in Windows Explorer, as demonstrated in the wild in July 2010, and originally reported for malware that leverages CVE-2010-2772 in Siemens WinCC SCADA systems.

Affected products

• Microsoft Windows 7: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003: all versions
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008: r2
• Microsoft Windows Vista: all versions
• Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3: all versions

References

• http://isc.sans.edu/diary.html?storyid=9181
• http://isc.sans.edu/diary.html?storyid=9190
• http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/07/experts-warn-of-new-windows-shortcut-flaw/
• http://secunia.com/advisories/40647
• http://securitytracker.com/id?1024216
• http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/00001986.html
• http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/new_rootkit_en.pdf
• http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/940193
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/2286198.mspx
• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/41732
• http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA10-222A.html
• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2010/ms10-046

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