# CVE-2012-4501: Missing authorization in n/a

> Remote attackers can leverage the system user account to make arbitrary API calls, such as deleting VMs, due to missing authorization checks.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/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:** 26 Oct 2012
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g376-qg9c-3v47

## What is CVE-2012-4501?

CVE-2012-4501 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Cloudstack, published on 26 Oct 2012. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Citrix Cloud.com CloudStack, and Apache CloudStack pre-release, allows remote attackers to make arbitrary API calls by leveraging the system user account, as demonstrated by API calls to delete VMs.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-4501?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Apache Cloudstack, Citrix Cloudstack.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-4501?

No fix has been published for CVE-2012-4501 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2012-4501 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-4501 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Apache Cloudstack

- [CVE-2024-38346](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38346/): Apache CloudStack: Unauthenticated cluster service port leads to remote execution (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-39864](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-39864/): Apache CloudStack: Integration API service uses dynamic port when disabled (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-29006](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-29006/): Apache CloudStack: x-forwarded-for HTTP header parsed by default (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2022-35741](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-35741/): Apache CloudStack SAML Single Sign-On XXE (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2019-17562](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-17562/): Command injection in Apache CloudStack (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-4501 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-4501 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Apache Cloudstack, published on 26 Oct 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-2012-4501 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Apache Cloudstack. 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-2012-4501/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-4501/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-4501
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-4501
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-4501

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-4501/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.