CVE-2010-5173
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 PC Tools Firewall Plus 6.0.0.88 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 confidenceRace condition in PC Tools Firewall Plus 6.0.0.88 allows local users to bypass kernel-mode hook handlers by manipulating user-space memory during hook-handler execution, enabling execution of code that would normally be blocked by the firewall's handler but not by signature-based detection. This is known as an argument-switch or KHOBE attack.
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= 6.0.0.88CVSS 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.
-
Verify PC Tools Firewall Plus installationCheck for the presence of PC Tools Firewall Plus in the system: Look for 'PC Tools Firewall Plus' in Programs and Features (Add/Remove Programs), or check for the installation directory typically at C:\Program Files\PC Tools Firewall PlusAffected if PC Tools Firewall Plus is installed on the system
-
Confirm installed version numberRight-click on the firewall executable (typically firewall.exe in the installation folder) and select Properties, then view the Details tab to see the File Version, or right-click the program in Programs and Features and select 'Change' or 'Properties' to view version informationAffected if The installed version is exactly 6.0.0.88
-
Check if firewall service is activeOpen Services (services.msc), locate 'PC Tools Firewall Plus' service, and verify its Status. The system is only vulnerable when the firewall driver/service is actively runningAffected if The PC Tools Firewall Plus service is running and the firewall is actively protecting the system
A system is affected by CVE-2010-5173 only if PC Tools Firewall Plus version 6.0.0.88 is installed AND the firewall service is actively running, as the race condition requires the kernel-mode hook handlers to be engaged.
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 dataNo direct remediation available - PC Tools Firewall Plus and Windows XP are obsolete/discontinued products. Organizations should migrate to supported firewall solutions on supported operating systems.
- Consultation2.0 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 $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-5173 — 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-2010-5173 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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