# CVE-2012-6094: Missing authorization in cups

> CUPS fails to enforce localhost-only listening restrictions, allowing unauthorized remote access to the printing service.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 20 Dec 2019
- **Updated:** 6 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-h5wh-487c-mrjg

## What is CVE-2012-6094?

CVE-2012-6094 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Apple Cups, published on 20 Dec 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

cups (Common Unix Printing System) 'Listen localhost:631' option not honored correctly which could provide unauthorized access to the system

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-6094?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Apple Cups, Debian Debian Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-6094?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2012-6094 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-6094 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## 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-2010-2941](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-2941/): Use after free in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2004-2154](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-2154/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-6094 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-6094 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in Apple Cups, published on 20 Dec 2019. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-6094 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2012-6094/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6094/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-6094
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-6094
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-6094

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6094/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.