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CVE-2010-2568

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in Microsoft Windows. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for Microsoft’s, see Microsoft flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2010-2568 is a security flaw in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft’s operating system for PCs and servers. Opening a booby-trapped file can let an attacker run their own code through Microsoft Windows. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 15 Sep 2022.[1]

Microsoft Windows is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Microsoft has published a fix or advice.

Description

CISA calls it a remote code execution in Microsoft Windows. In its words: “Microsoft Windows incorrectly parses shortcuts in such a way that malicious code may be executed when the operating system displays the icon of a malicious shortcut file. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute code as the logged-on user.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “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.”[2]

The underlying weakness is improper input validation (CWE-20), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.

It scores 7.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by the organisation that published the CVE using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Microsoft’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Microsoft Windows.

Every device with Microsoft Windows needs the update.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 15 Sep 2022, 4,438 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 6 Oct 2022 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 90%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

Microsoft has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]

  1. Update Microsoft Windows now.On Windows: Settings, Windows Update, Check for updates, then restart. Office updates come the same way, or from any Office app: File, Account, Update Options. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
  2. If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.8.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 90%.[4]

See also

Other Microsoft Windows flaws

Other improper input validation flaws

  • CVE-2026-93952, Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2026-12569, PTC Windchill and FlexPLM: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2026-34910, Ubiquiti UniFi OS: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2026-6973, Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM): improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2026-34197, Apache ActiveMQ: improper input validation ·

Added the same day

  • CVE-2022-40139, Trend Micro Apex One and Apex One as a Service: improper validation ·
  • CVE-2013-6282, Linux Kernel: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2013-2597, Code Aurora ACDB Audio Driver: stack-based buffer overflow ·
  • CVE-2013-2596, Linux Kernel: integer overflow ·
  • CVE-2013-2094, Linux Kernel: privilege escalation ·

Every Microsoft flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in September 2022

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Microsoft Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 15 Sep 2022.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2010-2568 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 22 Jul 2010.
  3. ^ Microsoft. Advisories and fixes: docs.microsoft.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.896, percentile 99.8, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2010-2568”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.