PatchTheCVECVE-2010-4345: Exim Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
CVE-2010-4345 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.8) affecting exim, opensuse, debian linux, reported as exploited in the wild. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.
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.
Why this priority
- High severity
- EPSS top 3%: very likely to be exploited
- Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV)
- Public exploit reference
- On your watchlist
A fixed release or distro patch exists.
Risk facts
| CVSS score | 7.8 (High) |
| Attack vector | Local |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges needed | Low |
| User interaction | None |
| EPSS exploit chance | 18.0% (top 3%) |
| CISA exploited list | Yes, fix due 2022-04-15 |
| Weakness | CWE-77 |
| Published | 2010-12-14 |
| Last modified | 2026-06-16 |
Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score
Am I affected?
Timeline
- Published CVE record published
- Exploited Added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list
- Deadline CISA due date for US federal agencies to patch
- Updated Record last modified
Exact fixes by distribution
Public exploits and detection
Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.
- Exploit-DB: Exim4 < 4.69 - string_format Function Heap Buffer Overflow (Metasploit)
- Metasploit: Exim4 string_format Function Heap Buffer Overflow
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.
Quick answers
How do I fix CVE-2010-4345?
exim: upgrade to newer than 4.72; opensuse: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; debian linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.
Is CVE-2010-4345 being exploited?
Yes. CVE-2010-4345 is on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, so treat it as patch-now.
What does CVE-2010-4345 affect?
CVE-2010-4345 affects exim, opensuse, debian linux. Severity is high (CVSS 7.8). 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_direct
How urgent is CVE-2010-4345?
Priority 87/100. High severity; EPSS top 3%: very likely to be exploited; Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV); Public exploit reference; On your watchlist
Software pages
Ubuntu vulnerabilities · Debian vulnerabilities · Exim vulnerabilities
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