# CVE-2012-6661: Plone and Zope2 do not reseed pseudo-random number generator

> Remote attackers can guess pseudo-random values due to lack of PRNG reseeding, potentially bypassing security controls in Zope and Plone.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/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:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Nov 2014
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-48vv-2pmq-9fvv, PYSEC-2014-51, PYSEC-2014-76

## What is CVE-2012-6661?

CVE-2012-6661 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Plone Plone, published on 3 Nov 2014. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Zope before 2.13.19, as used in Plone before 4.2.3 and 4.3 before beta 1, does not reseed the pseudo-random number generator (PRNG), which makes it easier for remote attackers to guess the value via unspecified vectors.  NOTE: this issue was SPLIT from CVE-2012-5508 due to different vulnerability types (ADT2).

Weakness: CWE-310

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2012-6661?

8 open source packages ship an affected version, including plone, Plone and Zope2. It affects 2 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `plone` | PyPI | All versions | 4.2.3, 4.3b1 |
| `plone` | PyPI | From 3.2.2 | 4.2.3 |
| `plone` | PyPI | From 4.3a1 | 4.3b1 |
| `Plone` | PyPI | From 3.2.2 | 4.2.3 |
| `Plone` | PyPI | From 4.3a1 | 4.3b1 |
| `Zope2` | PyPI | All versions | 2.13.19 |
| `zope2` | PyPI | All versions | 2.13.19 |
| `zope2` | PyPI | All versions | 2.13.19 |

Products: Plone Plone, Zope Zope.

## How do I fix CVE-2012-6661?

Upgrade plone to a fixed version for your release line: 4.2.3 or 4.3b1.

## Is CVE-2012-6661 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2012-6661 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Plone Plone

- [CVE-2021-33509](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33509/): Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource in Plone (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2020-35190](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35190/): Hardcoded credentials in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2020-7941](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7941/): Plone Unauthenticated Write Vulnerability (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2011-3587](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-3587/): Zope Command Execution Vulnerability (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2021-33926](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-33926/): Server-Side Request Forgery in Plone CMS (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2012-6661 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2012-6661 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Plone Plone, published on 3 Nov 2014. 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-2012-6661 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- plone (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 4.2.3, 4.3b1
- plone (PyPI): affected from 3.2.2; fixed in 4.2.3
- plone (PyPI): affected from 4.3a1; fixed in 4.3b1
- Plone (PyPI): affected from 3.2.2; fixed in 4.2.3
- Plone (PyPI): affected from 4.3a1; fixed in 4.3b1
- Zope2 (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.13.19
- zope2 (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.13.19
- zope2 (PyPI): affected all versions; fixed in 2.13.19

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-2012-6661/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6661/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2012-6661
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2012-6661
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2012-6661

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6661/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.