CVE-2010-3974 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE
fxscover.exe in the Fax Cover Page Editor in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 Gold and SP1 does not properly parse FAX cover pages, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted .cov file, aka "Fax Cover Page Editor Memory Corruption Vulnerability."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2010-3974 represents a critical memory corruption flaw within the Fax Cover Page Editor component of Microsoft Windows operating systems. This vulnerability specifically affects multiple versions of Windows including XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP1 and SP2, Windows Server 2008 Gold, SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, as well as Windows 7 Gold and SP1. The flaw exists in the fxscover.exe executable which handles the parsing of FAX cover page files with the .cov extension, making it a target for remote code execution attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper input validation and memory handling within the Fax Cover Page Editor's parsing routine. When the system processes a specially crafted .cov file, the fxscover.exe application fails to properly validate the file structure and content, leading to memory corruption that can be exploited by malicious actors. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-121 category of "Stack-based Buffer Overflow" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as attackers can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the affected system. The memory corruption occurs during the parsing of malformed cover page data, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite critical memory locations and inject malicious code.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables remote code execution without requiring user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments. Attackers can craft malicious .cov files and distribute them through various means such as email attachments, web downloads, or network shares, allowing them to gain unauthorized access to affected systems. Once exploited, the vulnerability can provide attackers with full system compromise capabilities, potentially leading to data theft, privilege escalation, and lateral movement within network infrastructures. The widespread presence of affected Windows versions across enterprise networks means that organizations with legacy systems are particularly vulnerable to this attack vector, as many organizations continue to operate unsupported Windows XP and Server 2003 systems.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2010-3974 should prioritize immediate patch deployment through Microsoft's security updates, as the vulnerability has been addressed through official Microsoft security bulletins. Organizations should implement network segmentation to limit the exposure of fax services and disable unnecessary fax functionality where possible. Security monitoring should focus on detecting unusual file access patterns and network traffic related to fax services. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies can prevent execution of unauthorized .cov files, while regular vulnerability assessments should identify systems running unsupported Windows versions that remain vulnerable to this and similar legacy vulnerabilities. The ATT&CK framework suggests implementing defensive measures such as process monitoring and network traffic analysis to detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider disabling fax services entirely if not required, as this eliminates the attack surface entirely and provides the most effective defense against this specific vulnerability.