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Internet ExplorerApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2010-0027

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-01-22
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The URL validation functionality in Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01, 6, 6 SP1, 7 and 8, and the ShellExecute API function in Windows 2000 SP4, XP SP2 and SP3, and Server 2003 SP2, does not properly process input parameters, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary local programs via a crafted URL, aka "URL Validation Vulnerability."

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The URL validation functionality in Internet Explorer and the Windows ShellExecute API fail to properly sanitize URL inputs, allowing specially crafted URLs to trigger execution of arbitrary local programs. This remote code execution vulnerability enables attackers to invoke programs on the target system via malicious links.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS10-002 (or subsequent cumulative updates) to address the URL validation flaw; alternatively, disable active scripting in IE and restrict users from clicking untrusted URLs as temporary workarounds.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Internet ExplorerApplication
Affected:= 8= 8.0.6001= 7= 7.0= 7.0.5730= 7.0.5730.11= 7.00.5730.1100= 7.00.6000.16386= 7.00.6000.16441= 5.01= 6
Windows 7Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2003Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows VistaOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows XpOperating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 2000Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows 2003 ServerOperating system
Affected:all versions

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Internet Explorer version
    Open Internet Explorer, click Help > About Internet Explorer, or check the version in registry at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer (Value: Version)
    Affected if The installed version is 5.01, 6, 7, or 8 (any of these versions are affected)
  2. Verify Windows operating system version
    Run 'winver' from the Run dialog, or check system properties, or run 'systeminfo' from command prompt
    Affected if The Windows version is 2000, XP, 2003 Server, Vista, 2008 Server, or 7 (all versions of these operating systems are affected)
  3. Determine if Internet Explorer handles untrusted URLs
    Review whether users can click on untrusted or external links that open in Internet Explorer, or if applications use Internet Explorer to render untrusted web content
    Affected if Internet Explorer is used to navigate to or render untrusted URLs without additional validation
  4. Check for ShellExecute API usage with URL inputs
    Review any custom or third-party applications that invoke the Windows ShellExecute API to process URLs from untrusted sources
    Affected if Applications use ShellExecute to open URLs that could originate from untrusted or malicious sources

Your environment is affected if Internet Explorer version 5.01, 6, 7, or 8 is installed on any Windows 2000 through Windows 7 system, and these browsers process untrusted URLs or if applications use ShellExecute to handle external URLs.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security update MS10-002 (or subsequent cumulative updates) to address the URL validation flaw; alternatively, disable active scripting in IE and restrict users from clicking untrusted URLs as temporary workarounds.

Recommended fix High confidence

For Windows Vista/7/Server 2008: Apply MS10-002 patch or later cumulative updates. For Windows XP SP3: Apply MS10-002 or migrate to a supported OS. For Windows 2000: No patch available, migrate to supported OS.

  1. Verify the system is running a supported Windows version. If on Windows XP, ensure Service Pack 3 is installed
  2. Ensure Windows Update is enabled: Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Update > Check for updates
  3. Apply the relevant Microsoft security patch. For CVE-2010-0027, this was addressed in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-002 (Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer)
  4. If the system cannot receive updates (e.g., Windows 2000, older XP without SP3), the only remediation is to upgrade to a supported operating system version
  5. For legacy systems that must remain on older Windows versions, disable Internet Explorer usage and use an alternative browser such as Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome
  6. Disable active scripting in Internet Explorer as a temporary mitigation: Internet Options > Security > Custom Level > Disable 'Active scripting'
Caveat Legacy applications requiring older IE versions or Windows 2000/XP may no longer function after OS upgrade

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Internet Explorer Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-0027 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data