# CVE-2012-5519: Privilege escalation in n/a > Local users in the lpadmin group can read or write arbitrary files as root via the CUPS web interface administrator key. - **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Any signed-in user - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 20 Nov 2012 - **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024 - **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2012-5519, DSA-2600-1, GHSA-ccjj-h3mm-j4rr, RHSA-2013:0580 ## What is CVE-2012-5519? CVE-2012-5519 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Cups, published on 20 Nov 2012. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description CUPS 1.4.4, when running in certain Linux distributions such as Debian GNU/Linux, stores the web interface administrator key in /var/run/cups/certs/0 using certain permissions, which allows local users in the lpadmin group to read or write arbitrary files as root by leveraging the web interface. Weakness: CWE-264 ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-5519? It affects 1 product. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5_9.3 | | `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5_9.3 | | `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5_9.3 | | `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5_9.3 | | `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 1:1.3.7-30.el5_9.3 | | `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-php` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::client | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-php` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::computenode | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-php` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-libs` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-lpd` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | | `cups-php` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::workstation | All versions | 1:1.4.2-50.el6_4.4 | Products: Apple Cups. ## How do I fix CVE-2012-5519? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2012-5519 being exploited? It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2012-5519 exists. Public exploit code: - cups-root-file-read.sh | CVE-2012-5519 (github_poc): https://github.com/p1ckzi/CVE-2012-5519 - CUPS 1.6.1 Root File Read (metasploit) ## Other vulnerabilities in Apple Cups - [CVE-2008-5184](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5184/): Cross-site request forgery in n/a (critical 10.0) - [CVE-2008-3641](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3641/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0) - [CVE-2008-0053](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-0053/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0) - [CVE-2012-6094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6094/): Missing authorization in cups (critical 9.8) - [CVE-2010-2941](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-2941/): Use after free in n/a (critical 9.8) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2012-5519 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2012-5519 is a high-severity vulnerability in Apple Cups, published on 20 Nov 2012. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2012-5519 exists. Affected product: Apple Cups. 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-2012-5519/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5519/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-5519 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-5519 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-5519 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5519/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.