CVE-2010-2090
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 · uneditedThe npb_protocol_error function in sna V5router64 in IBM Communications Server for Windows 6.1.3 and Communications Server for AIX (aka CSAIX or CS/AIX) in sna.rte before 6.3.1.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via APPC data containing a GDSID variable with a GDS length that is too small.
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 · moderate confidenceThe vulnerability exists in the npb_protocol_error function within IBM's SNA (Systems Network Architecture) V5router64 component. Remote attackers can send specially crafted APPC (Advanced Program-to-Program Communications) data containing a GDSID variable with a GDS length field set smaller than expected, triggering a protocol error that causes the SNA daemon to crash.
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= 6.1.3= 6.3.1.0CVSS 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify IBM Communications Server is installedOn AIX, run 'lslpp -l sna.rte' to list installed SNA filesets. On Windows, check Programs and Features or the installation directory for IBM Communications Server.Affected if The product is not installed - if installed, proceed to version check.
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Determine installed version of IBM Communications ServerOn AIX, run 'lslpp -la sna.rte' to see the exact version level. On Windows, check the version through the program's About dialog or check registry keys under HKLM\SOFTWARE\IBM\Communications Server.Affected if Version equals 6.1.3 or 6.3.1.0 - these specific versions are vulnerable.
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Confirm SNA daemon is runningOn AIX, run 'lssrc -s snaserv' or 'ps -ef | grep sna' to check if the SNA daemon (snaserv) is active. On Windows, check if the SNA service is started via Services control panel or 'net start | findstr SNA'.Affected if The SNA daemon is not running - the vulnerability requires the daemon to be active to process the malformed APPC data.
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Check if APPC (Advanced Program-to-Program Communications) is configuredOn AIX, check SNA configuration files in /etc/sna/ or via 'sna -admin' command to list APPC sessions. On Windows, check SNA Manager for APPC or ASCS configuration.Affected if APPC is not configured or enabled - the flaw is triggered specifically by malformed APPC data containing a GDSID variable with incorrect GDS length.
You are affected if IBM Communications Server version 6.1.3 or 6.3.1.0 is installed, the SNA daemon is running, and APPC communications are enabled or configured.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
From vendor dataUpgrade IBM Communications Server for AIX (sna.rte) to version 6.3.1.2 or later, or apply the appropriate vendor patch for Windows 6.1.3. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to SNA services and implement firewall rules to limit exposure to untrusted networks.
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- Implementation8.0 h
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- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-2090 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2010-2090 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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