How severe is CVE-2010-4251?

CVE-2010-4251 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2010-4251 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2010-4251?

CVE-2010-4251 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2010-4251?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2010-4251 published?

CVE-2010-4251 was published on 2011-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2010-4251

CVE-2010-4251 is a high-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-400.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.5)
CVSS v2: 7.8
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (89th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-400
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux
Published: 2011-05-26
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The socket implementation in net/core/sock.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.34 does not properly manage a backlog of received packets, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by sending a large amount of network traffic, as demonstrated by netperf UDP tests.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2010-4251?: The socket implementation in net/core/sock.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.34 does not properly manage a backlog of received packets, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by sending a large amount of network traffic, as demonstrated by netperf UDP tests.
How severe is CVE-2010-4251?: CVE-2010-4251 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.5, rated high severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2010-4251 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (89th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2010-4251?: CVE-2010-4251 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2010-4251?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2010-4251 published?: CVE-2010-4251 was published on 2011-05-26 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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