# CVE-2010-3497: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Remote attackers can execute arbitrary code by exploiting a timing flaw in Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2011's handling of help URLs, bypassing detection.

- **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-52mx-3vcf-9vxc

## What is CVE-2010-3497?

CVE-2010-3497 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Symantec Norton Antivirus, 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

Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2011 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. NOTE: the researcher indicates that a vendor response was received, stating that this issue "falls into the work of our Firewall and not our AV (per our methodology of layers of defense)."

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2010-3497?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Symantec Norton Antivirus.

## How do I fix CVE-2010-3497?

No fix has been published for CVE-2010-3497 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2010-3497 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2010-3497 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Symantec Norton Antivirus

- [CVE-2005-2017](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-2017/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2004-0487](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-0487/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2006-3456](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-3456/): Code injection in n/a (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2002-2206](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-2206/): Denial of service in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2002-1774](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-1774/): Security feature bypass in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2010-3497 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2010-3497 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Symantec Norton Antivirus, 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-2010-3497 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Symantec Norton Antivirus. 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-2010-3497/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3497/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-3497
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-3497
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2010-3497

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-3497/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.