CVE-2010-3888
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 · uneditedUnspecified vulnerability in Microsoft Windows on 32-bit platforms allows local users to gain privileges via unknown vectors, as exploited in the wild in July 2010 by the Stuxnet worm, and identified by Kaspersky Lab researchers and other researchers.
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 confidenceLocal privilege escalation vulnerability in 32-bit Microsoft Windows platforms that allows local users to gain elevated privileges via unknown attack vectors. Exploited in the wild by the Stuxnet worm in July 2010 and identified by Kaspersky Lab researchers.
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 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 system architectureCheck if the Windows system is 32-bit (x86). On the system, open Command Prompt and run 'systeminfo' or right-click 'My Computer' > 'Properties' and look for 'System type: x86-based PC' (32-bit) versus 'x64-based PC' (64-bit).Affected if The system is running a 32-bit version of Windows. This vulnerability does not affect 64-bit Windows installations.
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Confirm Windows versionRun 'winver' or check via 'System Properties' to identify the specific Windows version (e.g., Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003/2008).Affected if The system is any 32-bit version of Windows. The advisory indicates all Windows versions were affected on the 32-bit platform.
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Check for security update MS10-073Open Control Panel > 'Programs and Features' > 'View installed updates', or run 'wmic qfe list' in Command Prompt. Search for security update KB981957 or MS10-073 in the installed updates list.Affected if The security update KB981957 (MS10-073) is NOT installed. The system remains vulnerable if this update has not been applied.
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Verify kernel patch statusCheck the system's patch level by running 'systeminfo' and reviewing the 'Hotfix(s)' section, or use 'powershell get-hotfix' to enumerate installed patches.Affected if No recent security patches have been applied since October 2010, indicating the system likely lacks the fix for this vulnerability.
A system is affected if it runs a 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows AND lacks security update MS10-073 (KB981957). 64-bit Windows systems are not affected by this specific vulnerability.
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 relevant Microsoft security updates for this vulnerability. Ensure 32-bit Windows systems are fully patched and up to date.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-3888 — 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-2010-3888 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