CVE-2010-10015: Stack Overflow

Description

AOL versions up to and including 9.5 includes an ActiveX control (Phobos.dll) that exposes a method called Import() via the Phobos.Playlist COM object. This method is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow when provided with an excessively long string argument. Exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the user, but only when the malicious HTML file is opened locally, due to the control not being marked safe for scripting or initialization. AOL remains an active and supported brand offering services like AOL Mail and AOL Desktop Gold, but the legacy AOL 9.5 desktop software—specifically the version containing the vulnerable Phobos.dll ActiveX control—is long discontinued and no longer maintained.

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Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-121 CWE-121

References

Other References

http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/11190 https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=20354 https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/aol_phobos_bof.rb https://web.archive.org/web/20100804162117/http://www.rec-sec.com/2010/01/25/aol-playlist-class-buffer-overflow/ https://www.broadcom.com/support/security-center/attacksignatures/detail?asid=26569 https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/11204 https://www.fortiguard.com/encyclopedia/ips/32026/aol-phobos-dll-activex-control-import-buffer-overflow https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/aol-phobos-playlist-import-stack-based-buffer-overflow https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/aol_phobos_bof.rb https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/11190

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2010-10015? +

AOL versions up to and including 9.5 includes an ActiveX control (Phobos.dll) that exposes a method called Import() via the Phobos.Playlist COM object. This method is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow when provided with an excessively long string argument. Exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the user, but only when the malicious HTML file is opened locally, due to the control not being marked safe for scripting or initialization. AOL remains an active and supported brand offering services like AOL Mail and AOL Desktop Gold, but the legacy AOL 9.5 desktop software—specifically the version containing the vulnerable Phobos.dll ActiveX control—is long discontinued and no longer maintained.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2010-10015? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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