# CVE-2010-4345: Exim Privilege Escalation > Local attackers can gain privileges by exploiting Exim's ability to execute arbitrary commands via a malicious configuration file directive. - **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 25 Mar 2022 (CISA KEV) - **Login needed:** Any signed-in user - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 14 Dec 2010 - **Updated:** 22 Oct 2025 - **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2010-4345, GHSA-qq6c-p3fx-6qcx, RHSA-2011:0153 ## What is CVE-2010-4345? CVE-2010-4345 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 14 Dec 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Exim 4.72 and earlier allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging the ability of the exim user account to specify an alternate configuration file with a directive that contains arbitrary commands, as demonstrated by the spool_directory directive. Weakness: CWE-77 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2010-4345? It affects 4 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `exim` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-mon` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-sa` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-mon` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-sa` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-mon` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-sa` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-mon` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim-sa` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:4.43-1.RHEL4.5.el4_8.3 | | `exim` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:4.63-5.el5_6.2 | | `exim-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:4.63-5.el5_6.2 | | `exim-mon` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:4.63-5.el5_6.2 | | `exim-sa` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:4.63-5.el5_6.2 | Products: Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Exim Exim, Opensuse Opensuse. ## How do I fix CVE-2010-4345? Apply the vendor's patch. US federal agencies must fix it by 15 Apr 2022. ## Is CVE-2010-4345 being exploited? Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2010-4345 in the wild since at least 25 Mar 2022. Public exploit code: - Exim4 string_format Function Heap Buffer Overflow (metasploit) - Exim4 < 4.69 - string_format Function Heap Buffer Overflow (Metasploit) (exploitdb) ## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux - [CVE-2020-11651](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11651/): SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2020-7247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7247/): OpenSMTPD Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2019-16928](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16928/): Exim Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2018-6789](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6789/): Exim Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2015-2590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2590/): Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2010-4345 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2010-4345 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 14 Dec 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-2010-4345 in the wild since at least 25 Mar 2022. Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux. 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-2010-4345/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4345/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2010-4345 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-4345 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2010-4345 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4345/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.