# CVE-2012-5972: SpecView Directory Traversal

> Remote attackers can read arbitrary files from the SpecView web server via directory traversal in the URI.

- **Severity:** Low 2.6 (`AV:N/AC:H/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Jan 2013
- **Updated:** 7 Jul 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xhjh-m9vh-w983

## What is CVE-2012-5972?

CVE-2012-5972 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in SpecView, published on 17 Jan 2013. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Directory traversal vulnerability in the web server in SpecView 2.5 build 853 and earlier allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a ... (dot dot dot) in a URI.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), CWE-23 (Relative Path Traversal)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-5972?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Specview Specview.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-5972?

No fix has been published for CVE-2012-5972 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2012-5972 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2012-5972 exists.

Public exploit code:

- specview 2.5 build 853 - Directory Traversal (exploitdb)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-5972 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-5972 is a low-severity path traversal vulnerability in SpecView, published on 17 Jan 2013. 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-2012-5972 exists.

Affected product: SpecView. 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-2012-5972/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5972/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-5972
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-5972
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-5972

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-5972/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.