# CVE-2012-5930: Auth bypass in n/a

> Remote attackers can bypass authentication to change administrative account passwords in NetIQ Privileged User Manager via crafted requests.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.4 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Dec 2012
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m98f-9gmq-w7f5

## What is CVE-2012-5930?

CVE-2012-5930 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 24 Dec 2012. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The pa_modify_accounts function in auth.dll in unifid.exe in NetIQ Privileged User Manager 2.3.x before 2.3.1 HF2 does not require authentication for the modifyAccounts method, which allows remote attackers to change the passwords of administrative accounts via a crafted application/x-amf request.

Weakness: CWE-287 (Improper Authentication)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-5930?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Microfocus Privileged User Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-5930?

No fix has been published for CVE-2012-5930 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2012-5930 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2012-5930 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Novell NetIQ Privileged User Manager 2.3.1 - 'auth.dll' pa_modify_accounts() Remote Code Execution (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2012-5932](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5932/): Code injection in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-5931](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5931/): Path traversal in n/a (medium 5.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-5930 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-5930 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in n/a, published on 24 Dec 2012. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2012-5930 exists.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2012-5930/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5930/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-5930
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-5930
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-5930

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5930/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.