{"id":"CVE-2010-4345","published":"2010-12-14T16:00:04Z","modified":"2026-06-16T23:24:36Z","title":"Exim Privilege Escalation Vulnerability","vendor":"Exim","product":"Exim","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"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.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The flaw lies in Exim, where versions 4.72 and earlier let a local user escalate privileges by abusing the exim account's ability to load an alternate configuration file containing arbitrary commands, demonstrated through the spool_directory directive. An attacker needs only local, low-privilege access to the system, with no user interaction required, and can use it to run commands with elevated privileges.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-31T05:10:14Z"},"cvss":{"score":7.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.17965,"percentile":0.97182,"date":"2026-10-30","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2022-03-25","dueDate":"2022-04-15","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2010-4345","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2010-12-10","exploitedFirstSeen":"2010-12-10","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://lists.exim.org/lurker/message/20101210.164935.385e04d0.en.html","date":"2010-12-10"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2022-03-25"}],"evidenceTotal":2,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-77","name":"Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command"},{"id":"CWE-264","name":null}],"references":[{"url":"http://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1044","tags":["Issue Tracking","Patch"]},{"url":"http://lists.exim.org/lurker/message/20101209.172233.abcba158.en.html","tags":["Mailing List","Patch"]},{"url":"http://lists.exim.org/lurker/message/20101210.164935.385e04d0.en.html","tags":["Mailing List"]},{"url":"http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-12/msg00003.html","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/10/1","tags":["Mailing List"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/42576","tags":["Broken Link","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/42930","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/43128","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/43243","tags":["Broken 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Tracking","Patch"]},{"url":"http://bugs.exim.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1044","tags":["Issue Tracking","Patch"]},{"url":"http://lists.exim.org/lurker/message/20101209.172233.abcba158.en.html","tags":["Mailing List","Patch"]},{"url":"http://lists.exim.org/lurker/message/20101210.164935.385e04d0.en.html","tags":["Mailing List"]},{"url":"http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-12/msg00003.html","tags":["Mailing List","Third Party Advisory"]},{"url":"http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/12/10/1","tags":["Mailing List"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/42576","tags":["Broken Link","Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/42930","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/43128","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://secunia.com/advisories/43243","tags":["Broken Link"]},{"url":"http://www.cpanel.net/2010/12/critical-exim-security-update.html","tags":["Broken 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Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1078","name":"Valid Accounts","tactics":["initial-access","persistence","privilege-escalation","stealth"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Local account abused to access the exploit path","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"local users to gain privileges by leveraging the ability of the exim user account","start":29,"end":110}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"},{"id":"T1059","name":"Command and Scripting Interpreter","tactics":["execution"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: Config directive injects arbitrary command execution","mappingType":"primary_impact","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"specify an alternate configuration file with a directive that contains arbitrary commands","start":114,"end":203}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2010-4314","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2010-4314","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2022-03-25","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[{"id":16925,"url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16925","title":"Exim4 < 4.69 - string_format Function Heap Buffer Overflow (Metasploit)","type":"remote","platform":"linux","date":"2010-12-16","verified":true,"provenance":"source"}],"exploitSources":{"exploitdb":{"count":1,"earliest":"2010-12-16"},"metasploit":[{"name":"Exim4 string_format Function Heap Buffer 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