# CVE-2012-2983: Missing authorization in n/a

> Remote attackers can read arbitrary files via the file field in Webmin's file editor due to missing authorization checks.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 Sep 2012
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g7x5-gg6r-rhm7

## What is CVE-2012-2983?

CVE-2012-2983 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in n/a, published on 11 Sep 2012. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

file/edit_html.cgi in Webmin 1.590 and earlier does not perform an authorization check before showing a file's unedited contents, which allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via the file field.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-2983?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gentoo Webmin.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-2983?

No fix has been published for CVE-2012-2983 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2012-2983 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2012-2983 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Webmin edit_html.cgi file Parameter Traversal Arbitrary File Access (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2012-4893](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-4893/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (medium 6.8)
- [CVE-2012-2982](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2982/): Command injection in n/a (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2012-2981](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2981/): Code injection in n/a (medium 6.0)
- [CVE-2005-0427](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2005-0427/): Information disclosure in n/a (medium 5.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-2983 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-2983 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in n/a, published on 11 Sep 2012. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2012-2983 exists.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

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-2012-2983/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2983/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-2983
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-2983
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-2983

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2983/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.