CVE-2010-5182
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 VirusBuster Internet Security Suite 3.2 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 · high confidenceA race condition in VirusBuster Internet Security Suite 3.2 on Windows XP allows local users to bypass kernel-mode hook handlers by manipulating user-space memory during hook-handler execution. This argument-switch (KHOBE) attack enables execution of code that would be blocked by behavioral heuristics but not by signature-based detection. The vulnerability is disputed as it targets a protection mechanism in scenarios where malicious code is already executing.
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= 3.2CVSS 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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Check if VirusBuster Internet Security Suite is installedOpen Control Panel > Programs and Features and look for VirusBuster Internet Security Suite in the installed programs list. Alternatively, check for the installation directory at typical locations like C:\Program Files\VirusBuster or C:\Program Files (x86)\VirusBuster.Affected if VirusBuster Internet Security Suite appears in the installed programs list or its installation directory exists on the system
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Verify the installed version is 3.2Right-click on the VirusBuster entry in Programs and Features and select Properties, or open the software and go to Help > About. Compare the displayed version number to 3.2.Affected if The installed version is exactly 3.2 (note: other versions are not affected by this specific CVE)
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Confirm the operating system is Windows XPRight-click My Computer > Properties (or run 'winver' from command prompt). Check if the OS is listed as Windows XP. This vulnerability specifically targets Windows XP environments.Affected if The system is running Windows XP (the vulnerability is specific to this OS version)
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Check if real-time protection or behavioral heuristics are enabledOpen the VirusBuster main interface and navigate to the settings for real-time protection, behavioral analysis, or heuristic scanning. Verify whether these features are currently turned on.Affected if Real-time protection or behavioral heuristics are enabled (the vulnerability exploits the hook-handler execution path used by these features)
A user is affected if VirusBuster Internet Security Suite version 3.2 is installed on Windows XP with real-time protection or behavioral heuristics 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 dataGiven the disputed nature and age of this vulnerability (2009-2010 era), the recommended approach is to assess whether VirusBuster Internet Security Suite remains in use and migrate to actively maintained security solutions, as Windows XP and this software version are obsolete.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2010-5182 — 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-2010-5182 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