# CVE-2012-2144: OpenStack Horizon Session Fixation

> Remote attackers can hijack web sessions in OpenStack Dashboard by manipulating the sessionid cookie, requiring user interaction to set the malicious session.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.8 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 5 Jun 2012
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2012-2144, GHSA-w7h9-8wr4-hwqh

## What is CVE-2012-2144?

CVE-2012-2144 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 5 Jun 2012. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Session fixation vulnerability in OpenStack Dashboard (Horizon) folsom-1 and 2012.1 allows remote attackers to hijack web sessions via the sessionid cookie.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-2144?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including horizon. It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `horizon` | PyPI | All versions | 8.0.0a0 |
| `horizon` | PyPI | All versions | 8.0.0a0 |

Products: Openstack Horizon.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-2144?

Upgrade horizon to 8.0.0a0 or later.

## Is CVE-2012-2144 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-2144 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2022-45582](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-45582/): Horizon Web Dashboard Open Redirect vulnerability (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2026-55748](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-55748/): OpenStack Horizon RC file generation does not escape special characters in project names (medium 6.0)
- [CVE-2012-3540](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3540/): Open redirect in n/a (medium 5.8)
- [CVE-2013-4471](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4471/): Auth bypass in n/a (medium 5.5)
- [CVE-2026-43002](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-43002/): OpenStack Horizon has Incorrect Behavior Order (medium 5.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-2144 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-2144 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 5 Jun 2012. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-2144 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- horizon (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 8.0.0a0
- horizon (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 8.0.0a0

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2144/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2144/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-2144
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-2144
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-2144

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2144/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.