UNKNOWN CVSS 6.8
Published: 2014-02-10

CVE-2012-3406

gnu glibc Security Advisory (CVE-2012-3406)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2012-3406 impacting gnu glibc. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 6.8 (UNKNOWN).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
The vfprintf function in stdio-common/vfprintf.c in GNU C Library (aka glibc) 2.5, 2.12, and probably other versions does not "properly restrict the use of" the alloca function when allocating the SPECS array, which allows context-dependent attackers to bypass the FORTIFY_SOURCE format-string protection mechanism and cause a denial of service (crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted format string using positional parameters and a large number of format specifiers, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-3404 and CVE-2012-3405.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product gnu / glibc
Affected Versions 2.5
Weakness Enumeration CWE-264

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2012-3406 impacting gnu glibc.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2012-3406.yaml
id: cve-2012-3406

info:
  name: gnu glibc - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: unknown
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2012-3406 affecting gnu glibc.
    Evaluation: The vfprintf function in stdio-common/vfprintf.c in GNU C Library (aka glibc) 2.5, 2.12, and probably other versions does not "properly restrict ...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2012-3406
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
    cvss-score: 6.8
    cve-id: CVE-2012-3406
    cwe-id: CWE-264
  tags: cve,cve-2012-3406,gnu,glibc,unknown

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "glibc"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2012-3406.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2012-3406
# Target: gnu glibc | CVSS: 6.8 (UNKNOWN)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2012-3406 (gnu glibc)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against gnu glibc scope (2.5).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2012-3406.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2012-3406
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install glibc 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade glibc 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update glibc

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i glibc 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i glibc

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2012-3406 in gnu glibc?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update gnu glibc packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2012-3406?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2012-3406?

CVE-2012-3406 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 6.8 (UNKNOWN). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
6.8
UNKNOWN SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2012-3406
Weakness CWE-264
Vendor gnu
Product glibc
Published 2014-02-10
Vector AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P