DesktopApplication · Pgp

CVE-2010-3397

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2010-09-15
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
Untrusted search path vulnerability in PGP Desktop 9.9.0 Build 397, 9.10.x, 10.0.0 Build 2732, and probably other versions allows local users, and possibly remote attackers, to execute arbitrary code and conduct DLL hijacking attacks via a Trojan horse tsp.dll or tvttsp.dll that is located in the same folder as a .p12, .pem, .pgp, .prk, .prvkr, .pubkr, .rnd, or .skr file.

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

PGP Desktop contains an untrusted search path vulnerability where the application loads DLL files (specifically tsp.dll or tvttsp.dll) from the same directory as certificate/key files (.p12, .pem, .pgp, .prk, .prvkr, .pubkr, .rnd, .skr) being opened. Attackers can place malicious DLLs in folders containing these file types, causing arbitrary code execution when users open the files.

MitigationEnsure PGP Desktop is patched to the latest version. Avoid opening certificate and key files from untrusted or shared network locations. Remove any suspicious tsp.dll or tvttsp.dll files found in directories containing PGP key files.

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
DesktopApplication
Affected:= 9.9.0= 9.10.0= 10.0.0

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. Identify PGP Desktop version
    Check the installed version via Add/Remove Programs, or look in the program directory for version information (often in About or Help menu of the application)
    Affected if The installed version is 9.9.0, 9.10.0, or 10.0.0 exactly
  2. Locate PGP key and certificate files
    Search the filesystem for files with extensions .p12, .pem, .pgp, .prk, .prvkr, .pubkr, .rnd, or .skr - these are the file types that trigger the vulnerable DLL loading
    Affected if You have any of these PGP-related files stored on the system
  3. Check for suspicious DLLs in key file directories
    In each directory containing PGP key/certificate files, look for files named tsp.dll or tvttsp.dll
    Affected if A tsp.dll or tvttsp.dll file exists in the same folder as any of the vulnerable file types (.p12, .pem, .pgp, .prk, .prvkr, .pubkr, .rnd, .skr)
  4. Verify file association with PGP Desktop
    Check if PGP Desktop is registered as the default handler for .p12, .pem, .pgp, .skr, or other PGP key file extensions (via Right-click > Open With or Default Programs)
    Affected if PGP Desktop opens these file types and the version is one of the affected versions (9.9.0, 9.10.0, 10.0.0)

You are affected if PGP Desktop version 9.9.0, 9.10.0, or 10.0.0 is installed and a tsp.dll or tvttsp.dll file exists in any directory containing PGP key or certificate files that you open with PGP Desktop.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Ensure PGP Desktop is patched to the latest version. Avoid opening certificate and key files from untrusted or shared network locations. Remove any suspicious tsp.dll or tvttsp.dll files found in directories containing PGP key files.

Fix this in Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,800
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2010-3397 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
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