CVE-2011-10027
AOL Desktop 9.6 RTX Stack-Based Buffer Overflow
- State
- Published
- Severity
- 8.4 High
- Published
- Aug 20, 2025
- Updated
- May 15, 2026
- Reserved
- Aug 18, 2025
Description
AOL Desktop 9.6 contains a buffer overflow vulnerability in its Tool\rich.rct component when parsing .rtx files. By embedding an overly long string in a hyperlink tag, an attacker can trigger a stack-based buffer overflow due to the use of unsafe strcpy operations. This allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code when a victim opens a malicious .rtx file. AOL Desktop is end-of-life and no longer supported. Users are encouraged to migrate to AOL Desktop Gold or alternative platforms.
Scores
| CVSS | Score | Vector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 8.4 High | CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N | VulnCheck |
Weaknesses
- CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
AOL DesktopAOL Inc. |
|
References
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/aol_desktop_linktag.rbexploit
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16085exploit
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16107exploit
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/17150exploit
- https://www.fortiguard.com/encyclopedia/ips/26516third-party-advisory
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/aol-desktop-rtx-stack-based-buffer-overflowthird-party-advisory
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