# CVE-2012-3371: OpenStack Nova Scheduler denial of service through scheduler_hints

> Authenticated users can cause denial of service in OpenStack Nova by sending repeated IDs in scheduler hints when specific filters are enabled.

- **Severity:** Low 3.5 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 17 Jul 2012
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2012-3371, GHSA-xxgm-qpj5-4886

## What is CVE-2012-3371?

CVE-2012-3371 is a low-severity denial of service vulnerability in n/a, published on 17 Jul 2012. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Nova scheduler in OpenStack Compute (Nova) Folsom (2012.2) and Essex (2012.1), when DifferentHostFilter or SameHostFilter is enabled, allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (excessive database lookup calls and server hang) via a request with many repeated IDs in the os:scheduler_hints section.

Weakness: CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-3371?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including Nova and nova. It affects 3 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `Nova` | PyPI | All versions | 12.0.0a0 |
| `nova` | PyPI | All versions | 12.0.0a0 |

Products: Openstack Compute, Openstack Essex, Openstack Folsom.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-3371?

Upgrade Nova to 12.0.0a0 or later.

## Is CVE-2012-3371 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-3371 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2013-7130](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-7130/): OpenStack Nova Live migration can leak root disk into ephemeral storage (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2014-0167](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-0167/): OpenStack Compute (Nova) allows remote authenticated users to gain privileges via API requests (medium 6.0)
- [CVE-2015-2687](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2687/): OpenStack Compute (Nova) Improper Access Control (medium 4.7)
- [CVE-2013-4179](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-4179/): OpenStack Compute (Nova) vulnerable to denial of service via XML Entity Expansion attack (medium 4.3)
- [CVE-2012-2654](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2654/): OpenStack Compute (Nova) Improper Input Validation (medium 4.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-3371 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-3371 is a low-severity denial of service vulnerability in n/a, published on 17 Jul 2012. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-3371 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- Nova (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 12.0.0a0
- nova (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 12.0.0a0

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-2012-3371/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3371/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-3371
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-3371
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-3371

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3371/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.