CVE-2010-5172
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 · uneditedRace condition in Panda Internet Security 2010 15.01.00 on Windows XP allows local users to bypass kernel-mode hook handlers, and execute dangerous code that would otherwise be blocked by a handler but not blocked by signature-based malware detection, via certain user-space memory changes during hook-handler execution, aka an argument-switch attack or a KHOBE attack. NOTE: this issue is disputed by some third parties because it is a flaw in a protection mechanism for situations where a crafted program has already begun to execute
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 confidenceA race condition in Panda Internet Security 2010's kernel-mode hook handler allows local users to bypass security checks by manipulating user-space memory during the brief execution window when hook handlers are processing. This argument-switch/KHOBE attack enables malicious code to evade behavioral detection while bypassing handler blocks, though signature-based detection may still catch it.
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= 15.01.00CVSS 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
- High
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:H/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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Confirm Panda Internet Security 2010 is installedCheck the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for an entry named 'Panda Internet Security 2010' or check for the installation directory typically at C:\Program Files\Panda Security\Panda Internet Security 2010\Affected if The software is present on the system
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Identify the installed versionLocate the version information in the registry or examine the main executable file properties for 'Panda Internet Security 2010'. The main executable is typically 'PandaS.exe' or 'PavFnSvr.exe' located in the program directory.Affected if The version displayed is exactly 15.01.00
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Verify the kernel-mode hook driver is presentCheck for the presence of Panda kernel-mode drivers in the system. These typically include files with 'apv' or 'PSK' prefixes in the Windows\System32\drivers\ directory or in the Panda installation folder.Affected if Panda kernel-mode drivers (.sys files) are installed on the system
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Check if the security suite is runningOpen Task Manager and look for active Panda processes such as 'PavFnSvr.exe', 'PandaSoftwareUpdateAgent.exe', or 'PSANHost.exe' running under background services.Affected if Panda Internet Security 2010 processes are actively running with kernel hooks engaged
A system is affected if Panda Internet Security 2010 version 15.01.00 is installed and actively running with its kernel-mode hook components enabled, as the race condition vulnerability exists in the hook handler when processing operations.
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 from Panda Internet Security 2010 to a currently supported version, or migrate to a modern endpoint protection platform that does not rely on vulnerable kernel-mode hook techniques.
- 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-2010-5172 — 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-2010-5172 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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- 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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