CVE-2010-4523: Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in libopensc in OpenSC 0.11.13 and earlier allow physically proximate...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2010-4523 is an OpenSC smart-card handling flaw. A malicious or malformed smart card with an overly long serial-number field could trigger stack buffer overflows and potentially run code on a computer that reads it. The attacker needs physical proximity or control of a card used by the target. Exposure is most likely on systems using OpenSC for smart-card, PKCS#11, authentication, signing, or certificate workflows, especially older Linux distributions or embedded images with OpenSC 0.11.13 or earlier. Systems with no OpenSC installation and no smart-card reading path are unlikely to be exposed. Prioritize remediation where smart cards are part of identity, signing, or privileged workstation workflows. The impact can be serious, but the attack path requires physical card interaction. Environments without smart-card use should still inventory OpenSC, but urgency is lower. Mitigation focus: Upgrade OpenSC through supported vendor packages or official OpenSC guidance.; Prioritize endpoints and servers that read smart cards or use PKCS#11 modules.; Restrict untrusted smart-card use until affected systems are patched..

Prepared

Jun 28, 2026, 01:17 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.