CVE-2010-0232 — Microsoft Windows Kernel Exception Handler Vulnerability
The kernel in Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 through Windows 7, including Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista Gold, SP1, and SP2, and Windows Server 2008 Gold and SP2, when access to 16-bit applications is enabled on a 32-bit x86 platform, does not properly validate certain BIOS calls, which allows local users to gain privileges by crafting a VDM_TIB data structure in the Thread Environment Block (TEB), and then calling the NtVdmControl function to start the Windows Virtual DOS Machine (aka NTVDM) subsystem, leading to improperly handled exceptions involving the #GP trap handler (nt!KiTrap0D), aka "Windows Kernel Exception Handler Vulnerability."
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Confirmed exploitation (CISA KEV)+35
- Public exploit/PoC (metasploit, exploitdb)+20
- EPSS 28.7% (30-day exploitation probability)+15
- Technical severity (high)+6
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — www.microsoft.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — docs.microsoft.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
CISA required action CISA
Apply updates per vendor instructions.
US federal deadline: Mar 24, 2022 — passed 1666 day(s) ago
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Xp).
- Treat as emergency remediation: the CVE is in CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- EPSS ahead of 98% of scored CVEs: prioritize it in the patch queue.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Windows 2000 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows 7 | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| Microsoft | Windows Xp | versions not specified by the source | Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 1.8 | 5.9 | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | GitHub, Inc. via GitHub Security Advisories |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | CISA-ADP via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| 7.2 | CVSS 2.0 | High | 3.9 | 10.0 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) CISA KEV details CISA
CISA lists a CVE once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a reference date.
Public exploits, PoCs and detection templates
Public code that demonstrates or tests the flaw raises the odds of mass exploitation — and Nuclei templates help find vulnerable assets in your environment.
- Windows SYSTEM Escalation via KiTrap0D great Jan 19, 2010
Warning: public PoCs are sometimes disguised malware. Use them only for authorized testing in an isolated environment. This portal does not host exploit code — it only points to the sources.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 28.74%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Hunt retroactively in logs from before Mar 3, 2022 (KEV listing): exploitation may have started earlier.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- Fix documented
- Affected products added · microsoft/windows 2000, microsoft/windows 7, microsoft/windows xp
- CVSS changed · 7.8
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Added to CISA KEV (detected)
- Record created in this database
- 2022
- Added to CISA KEV catalog
- 2010
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 2× References added · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
17 on the record
- www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2010/0179
- secunia.com/advisories/38265
- docs.microsoft.com/en-us/security-updates/securitybulletins/2010/ms10-015
- www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/979682.mspx
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA10-040A.html
- lock.cmpxchg8b.com/c0af0967d904cef2ad4db766a00bc6af/KiTrap0D.zip
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2010/Jan/341
- blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2010/01/20/security-advisory-979682-released.aspx
- exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/55742
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/37864
- lists.immunitysec.com/pipermail/dailydave/2010-January/006000.html
- www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/509106/100/0/threaded
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-xprh-x7hf-54qr
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-0232
- oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A8344
- securitytracker.com/id
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
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- High CVE-2022-41073 Microsoft Windows Print Spooler Privilege Escalation Vulnerability KEV Nov 9, 2022
- High CVE-2022-41033 Microsoft Windows COM+ Event System Service Privilege Escalation Vulnerability KEV Oct 11, 2022
- High CVE-2022-37969 Microsoft Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver Privilege Escalation Vulnerability KEV Sep 13, 2022
- High CVE-2022-34713 Microsoft Windows Support Diagnostic Tool (MSDT) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability KEV Aug 9, 2022
- High CVE-2022-22047 Microsoft Windows Client Server Runtime Subsystem (CSRSS) Privilege Escalation Vulnerability KEV Jul 12, 2022
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2010-0232 is "Microsoft Windows Kernel Exception Handler Vulnerability", rated High. It affects Windows 2000 (Microsoft); versions are in the scope table. It is in CISA KEV: there is evidence of real-world exploitation. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity. EPSS 28.74% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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