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CVE-2012-0151

From Exploited flaws, HARD’s guide to the flaws being used in attacks · Checked
This article is about a flaw in Microsoft Windows. For every flaw being used in attacks, see Exploited flaws; for Microsoft’s, see Microsoft flaws being used in attacks.

CVE-2012-0151 is a security flaw in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft’s operating system for PCs and servers. Attackers can run their own code on Microsoft Windows. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 8 Jun 2022.[1]

Microsoft Windows is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. Microsoft has published a fix or advice.

Description

CISA calls it an authenticode signature verification remote code execution in Microsoft Windows. In its words: “The Authenticode Signature Verification function in Microsoft Windows (WinVerifyTrust) does not properly validate the digest of a signed portable executable (PE) file, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute code.”[1]

The CVE record adds: “The Authenticode Signature Verification function in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, Windows 7 Gold and SP1, and Windows 8 Consumer Preview does not properly validate the digest of a signed portable executable (PE) file, which allows user-assisted remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a modified file with additional content, aka "WinVerifyTrust Signature Validation Vulnerability."”[2]

The underlying weakness is improper input validation (CWE-20), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.

It scores 7.8 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]

Affected versions

NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Microsoft’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Microsoft Windows.

Every device with Microsoft Windows needs the update.

Exploitation

CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 8 Jun 2022, 3,711 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 22 Jun 2022 to fix it.[1]

FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 88%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]

CISA assesses it as not automatable: each attack takes some work.

CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.

Fix

Microsoft has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]

  1. Update Microsoft Windows now.On Windows: Settings, Windows Update, Check for updates, then restart. Office updates come the same way, or from any Office app: File, Account, Update Options. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
  2. If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.

Timeline

DateEvent
The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.8.[2]
CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1]
CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1]
FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 88%.[4]

See also

Other Microsoft Windows flaws

Other improper input validation flaws

  • CVE-2026-93952, Arista VeloCloud Orchestrator: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2026-12569, PTC Windchill and FlexPLM: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2026-34910, Ubiquiti UniFi OS: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2026-6973, Ivanti Endpoint Manager Mobile (EPMM): improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2026-34197, Apache ActiveMQ: improper input validation ·

Added the same day

  • CVE-2019-7195, QNAP Photo Station: path traversal ·
  • CVE-2019-7194, QNAP Photo Station: path traversal ·
  • CVE-2019-7193, QNAP QTS: improper input validation ·
  • CVE-2019-7192, QNAP Photo Station: improper access control ·
  • CVE-2019-5825, Chrome and other Chromium browsers: out-of-bounds write ·

Every Microsoft flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in June 2022

References

  1. ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Microsoft Windows Authenticode Signature Verification Remote Code Execution Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 8 Jun 2022.
  2. ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2012-0151 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 10 Apr 2012.
  3. ^ Microsoft. Advisories and fixes: docs.microsoft.com.
  4. ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.877, percentile 99.8, 31 Oct 2026.
  5. CVE Program. “CVE-2012-0151”. The official CVE record.

This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.