# CVE-2010-3496: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code by exploiting a timing flaw in McAfee VirusScan Enterprise's interaction with Microsoft Help Center URLs.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.4 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 22 Aug 2012
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-x7cr-r5c5-cf8m

## What is CVE-2010-3496?

CVE-2010-3496 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Aug 2012. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.5i and 8.7i does not properly interact with the processing of hcp:// URLs by the Microsoft Help and Support Center, which makes it easier for remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via malware that is correctly detected by this product, but with a detection approach that occurs too late to stop the code execution.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2010-3496?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mcafee Virusscan Enterprise.

## How do I fix CVE-2010-3496?

No fix has been published for CVE-2010-3496 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2010-3496 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2010-3496 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2009-5118](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-5118/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2020-7266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7266/): Privilege Escalation vulnerability through symbolic links in VSE for Windows (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2020-7267](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7267/): Privilege Escalation vulnerability through symbolic links in VSEL (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2016-8023](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8023/): Auth bypass in VirusScan Enterprise Linux (VSEL) (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2016-8024](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-8024/): Other in VirusScan Enterprise Linux (VSEL) (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2010-3496 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2010-3496 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 22 Aug 2012. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2010-3496 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2010-3496/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3496/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-3496
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-3496
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2010-3496

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3496/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.