CVE-2010-2193 in Webscan Active X Control
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in the CA (1) PSFormX and (2) WebScan ActiveX controls, as distributed on the CA Global Advisor web site until May 2009, allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unknown vectors.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-2193 represents a critical security flaw affecting CA PSFormX and WebScan ActiveX controls that were distributed through the CA Global Advisor website until May 2009. These ActiveX controls, which are components designed to extend web browser functionality for specific enterprise applications, contained multiple unspecified vulnerabilities that created significant attack vectors for remote code execution. The vulnerability landscape surrounding ActiveX controls is particularly concerning as these components operate with elevated privileges within the Windows environment, making them prime targets for exploitation by malicious actors seeking to compromise user systems. The lack of specific details regarding the exact nature of the vulnerabilities within the PSFormX and WebScan controls reflects the complexity and often undocumented nature of such security flaws in enterprise software components. The fact that these controls were distributed through a legitimate enterprise security platform, CA Global Advisor, adds another layer of risk as users would typically trust software from recognized vendors, creating a false sense of security that attackers could exploit.
The technical exploitation of these vulnerabilities likely occurred through the manipulation of input parameters or data processing within the ActiveX controls, potentially leveraging buffer overflows, memory corruption issues, or improper validation of user-supplied data. ActiveX controls operate within the security context of the user's browser session and often have extensive access to system resources, making them particularly dangerous when compromised. The unspecified nature of the vulnerabilities suggests that attackers may have discovered multiple attack vectors within these controls, potentially including issues related to improper input validation, unsafe memory handling, or insecure programming practices that allowed attackers to inject malicious code into the execution context. These controls, when loaded in web browsers, would execute with the privileges of the logged-in user, potentially enabling attackers to perform actions ranging from data theft to complete system compromise. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-119, which addresses "Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer," and CWE-79, which covers "Cross-site Scripting," as ActiveX controls often process user input and render content within web contexts, creating potential attack surfaces for both buffer overflow and injection attacks.
The operational impact of CVE-2010-2193 extends beyond individual system compromise to affect enterprise security infrastructure and operational continuity. Organizations relying on CA Global Advisor for security monitoring and management would face significant risks when users encountered compromised systems through these vulnerable ActiveX controls. The attack vectors could potentially enable attackers to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, or deploy additional malware payloads, creating cascading effects throughout the enterprise network. Security teams would struggle to detect and remediate these vulnerabilities due to the distributed nature of the controls and the lack of specific technical details about the exploit mechanisms. The vulnerability's potential for remote code execution without user interaction represents a particularly dangerous threat in enterprise environments where users may have elevated privileges or where the controls are automatically deployed across multiple systems. This type of vulnerability directly impacts the principles of least privilege and defense in depth, as the ActiveX controls bypassed normal security boundaries that should protect against unauthorized code execution. The attack surface for these vulnerabilities aligns with ATT&CK techniques involving ActiveX and COM objects, particularly those related to privilege escalation and persistence mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-2193 required immediate action from affected organizations, including the complete removal of the vulnerable ActiveX controls from all affected systems and the implementation of browser security restrictions to prevent automatic loading of ActiveX components. Organizations needed to implement network-based restrictions and browser security policies to disable ActiveX controls or limit their functionality to prevent exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlighted the importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices and the necessity of regular security assessments for enterprise software components, particularly those with elevated privileges and wide distribution. Security teams should have implemented monitoring for suspicious ActiveX loading activities and established procedures for verifying the integrity of software components before deployment. The incident underscored the critical need for enterprises to maintain detailed inventories of all ActiveX controls and other browser plugins installed across their networks, as well as the importance of vendor security advisories and vulnerability management processes. Organizations should have considered implementing application whitelisting policies to prevent execution of unauthorized ActiveX controls, and established procedures for validating software integrity before installation. The vulnerability also emphasized the importance of regular security awareness training for users regarding the risks associated with ActiveX controls and the need for caution when interacting with web content that might trigger component loading.