# What is CVE-2010-4052?

> CVE-2010-4052 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) in Glibc from Gnu, published on 13 January 2011. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 51%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.

Canonical page: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/what-is/cve-2010-4052

## At a glance

- **Verdict:** Fix this soon. Not confirmed as exploited yet, but serious or likely enough that it should not wait for a quiet month.
- **Precursor Intelligence risk score:** 45 out of 100 (Medium); action: Plan remediation. Kept up to date as the evidence changes.
- **Severity:** Medium (CVSS 5.0 out of 10)
- **Known to be exploited:** No, not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today
- **Chance of use in the next 30 days:** 51% (latest exploit-likelihood forecast)
- **Published:** 13 January 2011
- **Record last updated:** 11 April 2025
- **Main product:** Glibc from Gnu
- **Affected products:** 1

## What is CVE-2010-4052? In plain terms

It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in. If it works, the attacker can slow it down.

### The official description

Stack consumption vulnerability in the regcomp implementation in the GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) through 2.11.3, and 2.12.x through 2.12.2, allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (resource exhaustion) via a regular expression containing adjacent repetition operators, as demonstrated by a {10,}{10,}{10,}{10,} sequence in the proftpd.gnu.c exploit for ProFTPD.

### What kind of flaw is it?

- Unknown: Unknown

### How an attack on it works

- Where an attacker can be: Anywhere on the internet
- How hard it is to pull off: Easy: no special conditions
- Login needed first: No login needed
- What an attacker gets: Can slow it down

Severity vector: `AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P`

## Is CVE-2010-4052 being exploited? Not that we know of

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 51%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

Exploit likelihood over the last 7 days: 51%, 51%, 51%, 51%, 51%, 51%, 51%.

### Timeline

- 13 January 2011: Published
- 11 April 2025: Record last updated
- 16 June 2026: Exploit likelihood jumped

### How Precursor Intelligence ranks it

CVE-2010-4052 scores **45 out of 100 (Medium)**, with the action "Plan remediation".

Every published flaw gets a risk score from 0 to 100, kept up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, from the one that counts most to the ones that count less:

- Evidence it is being exploited: biggest factor
- How severe it is: strong factor
- How widely exposed it is: smaller factor
- Threat activity around it: smaller factor

85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score. When this flaw matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.

## Who is affected by CVE-2010-4052?

The published record lists 1 product.

- [Glibc](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/gnu/glibc) by [Gnu](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/gnu) (Application): 1.00, 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05, 1.06, 1.07, 1.08, 1.09, 1.09.1, 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.1.6, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.3.10, 2.1.9, 2.10, 2.10.1, 2.10.2, 2.11, 2.11.1, 2.11.2, 2.11.3, 2.12.0, 2.12.1, 2.12.2

## How do I fix CVE-2010-4052?

1. **Check whether you run it.** Compare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
2. **Apply the vendor’s fix.** Install the update named in the vendor’s advisory. We’ve put the advisories and patch notes first in the list.
3. **If you can’t patch today.** Follow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
4. **Keep an eye on it.** Track the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.

### References

- [cxib.net](http://cxib.net/stuff/proftpd.gnu.c) (Patch)
- [secunia.com](http://secunia.com/advisories/42547) (Vendor advisory)
- [seclists.org](http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2011/Jan/78) (Exploit)
- [securityreason.com](http://securityreason.com/achievement_securityalert/93) (Exploit)
- [securityreason.com](http://securityreason.com/securityalert/8003) (Exploit)
- [securitytracker.com](http://securitytracker.com/id?1024832)
- [exploit-db.com](http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/15935)
- [kb.cert.org](http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/912279) (Government resource)
- [securityfocus.com](http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/515589/100/0/threaded)
- [securityfocus.com](http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/45233) (Exploit)
- [bugzilla.redhat.com](https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=645859) (Exploit)

## Questions

### What is CVE-2010-4052?

CVE-2010-4052 is a medium-severity flaw in Glibc from Gnu, published on 13 January 2011. It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in. If it works, the attacker can slow it down.

### How serious is CVE-2010-4052?

It scores 5.0 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is medium. Our risk score for CVE-2010-4052 is 45 out of 100, which is Medium. Its action is "Plan remediation". Not confirmed as exploited yet, but serious or likely enough that it should not wait for a quiet month.

### Is CVE-2010-4052 being exploited?

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 51%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

### Which versions does CVE-2010-4052 affect?

For Glibc from Gnu: 1.00, 1.01, 1.02, 1.03, 1.04, 1.05 and 22 more.

### How do I fix CVE-2010-4052?

Install the update the vendor names in its advisory, linked first under "How do I fix" on this page. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.

## Does CVE-2010-4052 affect you?

Precursor Intelligence keeps checking for you:

- **Tell us what you run.** Pick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
- **We match it to every flaw.** Over 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
- **Ranked by real-world risk.** Every flaw gets a 0 to 100 risk score, kept up to date, led by evidence criminals are using it.
- **Told as soon as we know.** An alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.

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