CVE-2010-2568 — Microsoft Windows Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Windows Shell in Microsoft Windows XP SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1 and SP2, Server 2008 SP2 and R2, and Windows 7 allows local users or remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) .LNK or (2) .PIF shortcut file, which is not properly handled during icon displa

01What is this vulnerability?

Windows Shell in Microsoft Windows XP SP3, Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1 and SP2, Server 2008 SP2 and R2, and Windows 7 allows local users or remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted (1) .LNK or (2) .PIF shortcut file, which is not properly handled during icon display in Windows Explorer, as demonstrated in the wild in July 2010, and originally reported for malware that leverages…

02Affected products

Vendor	Product	Versions
n	a / n/a	n/a

03Active exploitation status

Yes — actively exploited. Added to the CISA KEV catalog on 2022-09-15. Ransomware use: Unknown.

04Recommended remediation

• Patch to a fixed version listed in the vendor advisory (see references below).
• Mitigate with WAF rules, network egress filters, or feature flags where the patch is not yet available.
• Hunt historical logs for exploitation indicators — see Detection signatures below.

05Technical details

For the full vendor write-up, exploit chains, and reference implementations, see the references list in section 09.

06Detection signatures

Open the Sigma generator with a pre-filled prompt for this CVE to draft a starting detection in your stack of choice:

Open in Sigma generator →

07Related CVEs

No directly-cited follow-up CVEs in the KB record for this advisory. The references list in section 09 carries the vendor cross-references.

08Timeline

• Published: 2010-07-22T10:00:00.000Z
• Last modified: 2025-10-22T00:05:52.095Z
• Added to CISA KEV: 2022-09-15
• BOD 22-01 due: 2022-10-06

09References

• www.us-cert.gov — http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA10-222A.html
• isc.sans.edu — http://isc.sans.edu/diary.html?storyid=9181
• oval.cisecurity.org — https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3…
• www.f-secure.com — http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/00001986.html
• www.kb.cert.org — http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/940193
• krebsonsecurity.com — http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/07/experts-warn-of-new-windows-shortcut-flaw/
• secunia.com — http://secunia.com/advisories/40647
• www.microsoft.com — http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/2286198.mspx
• isc.sans.edu — http://isc.sans.edu/diary.html?storyid=9190
• www.securityfocus.com — http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/41732
• www.f-secure.com — http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/new_rootkit_en.pdf
• www.geoffchappell.com — https://www.geoffchappell.com/notes/security/stuxnet/ctrlfldr.htm
• securitytracker.com — http://securitytracker.com/id?1024216
• docs.microsoft.com — https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2010/ms10-04…