CVE-2010-5181
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 VIPRE Antivirus Premium 4.0.3272 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 VIPRE Antivirus Premium 4.0.3272 allows local attackers to bypass kernel-mode hook handlers by manipulating user-space memory during the brief execution window of hook handlers. This argument-switch/KHOBE attack enables execution of malicious code that would normally be blocked by behavioral detection, though signature-based scanning may still catch the payload.
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= 4.0.3272CVSS 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
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 VIPRE Antivirus is installedCheck for VIPRE installation by reviewing installed programs in Windows Programs and Features, or query the registry key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries containing 'Vipre' or 'VIPRE'.Affected if VIPRE Antivirus Premium is listed as installed software.
-
Identify installed VIPRE versionOpen the VIPRE interface and navigate to Help > About, or check the version in the Windows registry under HKLM\Software\Sunbelt Software\VIPRE\CurrentVersion, or locate the main executable (VipreEndpointSecurity.exe or similar) and view its file properties.Affected if The displayed version number is exactly 4.0.3272.
-
Confirm kernel-mode hooks are activeVIPRE uses kernel-mode hooks for behavioral detection. Check if real-time protection is enabled by looking at VIPRE's main dashboard or running status. The vulnerability applies when these hooks are actively protecting the system.Affected if VIPRE real-time/scanning protection is enabled and the version is 4.0.3272.
You are affected if VIPRE Antivirus Premium version 4.0.3272 is installed with its real-time behavioral protection enabled.
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 dataUpdate VIPRE Antivirus to a version with patched kernel-mode hook handling, or migrate to an alternative endpoint protection solution that is not susceptible to this race condition. For enterprises, consider additional application whitelisting as a compensating control.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 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 $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-5181 — 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-2010-5181 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