# CVE-2012-5138: Path traversal in n/a

> Google Chrome fails to properly handle file paths, potentially allowing attackers to access or manipulate files via unspecified vectors.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not stated
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not stated
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 4 Dec 2012
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fmp2-5mxc-mvcf

## What is CVE-2012-5138?

CVE-2012-5138 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in Google Chrome, published on 4 Dec 2012. It can be exploited over the network.

### Official description

Google Chrome before 23.0.1271.95 does not properly handle file paths, which has unspecified impact and attack vectors.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-5138?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Google Chrome, Opensuse Opensuse.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-5138?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2012-5138 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-5138 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Google Chrome

- [CVE-2022-4135](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-4135/): Google Chromium GPU Heap Buffer Overflow (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-16017](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16017/): Google Chrome Use-After-Free (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-16010](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-16010/): Google Chrome for Android UI Heap Buffer Overflow (critical 9.6, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-87491](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-87491/): Google Chromium V8 Out of Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-85046](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-85046/): Google Chromium V8 Type Confusion (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-5138 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-5138 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in Google Chrome, published on 4 Dec 2012. It can be exploited over the network.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-5138 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Google Chrome. 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-2012-5138/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5138/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-5138
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-5138
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-5138

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5138/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.