# CVE-2010-0232: Microsoft Windows Kernel Exception Handler

> Local attackers can gain privileges by exploiting improper validation of BIOS calls in the Windows kernel when 16-bit application support is enabled.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Mar 2022 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 21 Jan 2010
- **Updated:** 22 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xprh-x7hf-54qr

## What is CVE-2010-0232?

CVE-2010-0232 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2000, published on 21 Jan 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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."

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2010-0232?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Microsoft Windows 2000, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Windows Xp.

## How do I fix CVE-2010-0232?

No fix has been published for CVE-2010-0232 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available. US federal agencies must fix it by 24 Mar 2022.

## Is CVE-2010-0232 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2010-0232 in the wild since at least 3 Mar 2022.

Public exploit code:

- Microsoft Windows NT/2000/2003/2008/XP/Vista/7 - 'KiTrap0D' User Mode to Ring Escalation (MS10-015) (exploitdb)
- Windows SYSTEM Escalation via KiTrap0D (metasploit)
- Development of an exploit for privilege escalation in Windows systems ( NT / 2k / XP / 2K3 / VISTA / 2k8 / 7 ) using the vulnerability CVE-2010-0232 (github_poc): https://github.com/azorfus/CVE-2010-0232

## Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 2000

- [CVE-2008-4250](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-4250/): Microsoft Windows Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2009-1123](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1123/): Microsoft Windows Improper Input Validation (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2002-0367](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-0367/): Microsoft Windows Privilege Escalation (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2010-0269](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0269/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2010-0231](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0231/): Weak cryptography in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2010-0232 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2010-0232 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 2000, published on 21 Jan 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2010-0232 in the wild since at least 3 Mar 2022.

Affected product: Microsoft Windows 2000. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0232/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0232/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-0232
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-0232
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2010-0232

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0232/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.