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EXPOSURES › CVE-2010-0232

CVE-2010-0232

HIGH ⌖ ON CISA KEV · EXPLOITED
DETAIL
SourceCISA-KEV · kev Published2022-03-03 Referencehttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-0232 ↗
⌖ EXPLOITED IN THE WILD SHAME 78/100 exploited-in-wildunpatched

A 2010 Windows kernel flaw allowed local privilege escalation via unvalidated BIOS calls when 16-bit app support was enabled.

This unpatched kernel vulnerability (CVE-2010-0232) was actively exploited in the wild, proving that legacy Windows configurations remain high-risk targets. DIB organizations must ensure all endpoints are patched and 16-bit application support is disabled to prevent local attackers from escalating to system-level access. The failure highlights the ongoing compliance burden of maintaining legacy systems and the necessity of strict configuration management.

Shame score — A known, unpatched kernel vulnerability that was actively exploited in the wild demonstrates severe negligence in patch management and configuration hygiene.

▸ RECOMMENDED ACTION  Actively exploited (CISA KEV) — remediate now, ahead of your normal patch cycle.

DESCRIPTION

The kernel in Microsoft Windows, when access to 16-bit applications is enabled on a 32-bit x86 platform, does not properly validate certain BIOS calls, which allows local users to gain privileges.

AFFECTED FEDRAMP PRODUCTS · 4
PRODUCTSTATUS
Azure Commercial Cloud
Microsoft
Authorized
Azure Government (includes Dynamics 365)
Microsoft
Authorized
Microsoft Office 365 GCC High
Microsoft
In Process
Office 365 Multi-Tenant & Supporting Services
Microsoft
Authorized