# CVE-2012-4078: Auth bypass in n/a

> Remote authenticated users can bypass authentication steps in Cisco UCS BMC via SSH port forwarding, requiring vendor patches.

- **Severity:** High 8.5 (`AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **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:** 24 Sep 2013
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wwrw-xchg-gfw3

## What is CVE-2012-4078?

CVE-2012-4078 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco Unified Computing System, published on 24 Sep 2013. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) in Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) does not properly handle SSH escape sequences, which allows remote authenticated users to bypass an unspecified authentication step via SSH port forwarding, aka Bug ID CSCtg17656.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-4078?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Cisco Unified Computing System.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-4078?

No fix has been published for CVE-2012-4078 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2012-4078 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-4078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Cisco Unified Computing System

- [CVE-2026-20200](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-20200/): Cisco Integrated Management Controller Argument Injection and Remote Code Execution Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2026-20094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-20094/): Cisco Integrated Management Controller Command Injection Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-0430](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0430/): Cisco Integrated Management Controller Command Injection Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-0431](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0431/): Cisco Integrated Management Controller Command Injection Vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2018-0338](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-0338/): Command injection in Cisco Unified Computing System unknown (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-4078 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-4078 is a high-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in Cisco Unified Computing System, published on 24 Sep 2013. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-4078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Cisco Unified Computing System. 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-2012-4078/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-4078/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-4078
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-4078
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-4078

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-4078/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.