CVE-2010-2740
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 OpenType Font (OTF) format driver in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3 and Server 2003 SP2 does not properly perform memory allocation during font parsing, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application, aka "OpenType Font Parsing 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 confidenceThe OpenType Font (OTF) format driver in Windows XP SP2/SP3 and Server 2003 SP2 contains a memory allocation flaw during font parsing. A local attacker can exploit this by running a specially crafted application containing a malicious font file, potentially executing arbitrary code with elevated privileges.
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 dataall versionsall versionsall versionsCVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify the Windows versionRun 'winver' or check system properties. Look for Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 in the displayed version information.Affected if The system is running any version of Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 (all versions).
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Confirm the OpenType Font driver is presentCheck for the presence of the font driver file atmfd.dll in the system directory (typically C:\Windows\System32\). Use 'dir C:\Windows\System32\atmfd.dll' or check via File Explorer.Affected if The file atmfd.dll exists on the system, indicating the OpenType Font driver is installed.
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Check if the security update is installedOpen Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or run 'wmic qfe list' command to list installed updates. Look for update KB980442 (MS10-053).Affected if The security update KB980442 is NOT installed, leaving the system vulnerable.
A system is affected if it runs Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, has the OpenType Font driver (atmfd.dll) present, and is missing security update KB980442.
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 dataApply Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-053 (KB980442) to affected systems, or migrate from unsupported Windows XP/Server 2003 to supported operating system versions.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,544.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-2740 — 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-2010-2740 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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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.
- 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