CVE-2012-0217

CVE-2012-0217 is a high-severity vulnerability in Citrix Xenserver with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.2. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 37% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Description

The x86-64 kernel system-call functionality in Xen 4.1.2 and earlier, as used in Citrix XenServer 6.0.2 and earlier and other products; Oracle Solaris 11 and earlier; illumos before r13724; Joyent SmartOS before 20120614T184600Z; FreeBSD before 9.0-RELEASE-p3; NetBSD 6.0 Beta and earlier; Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 and R2 SP1 and Windows 7 Gold and SP1; and possibly other operating systems, when running on an Intel processor, incorrectly uses the sysret path in cases where a certain address is not a canonical address, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application. NOTE: because this issue is due to incorrect use of the Intel specification, it should have been split into separate identifiers; however, there was some value in preserving the original mapping of the multi-codebase coordinated-disclosure effort to a single identifier.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-0217?
The x86-64 kernel system-call functionality in Xen 4.1.2 and earlier, as used in Citrix XenServer 6.0.2 and earlier and other products; Oracle Solaris 11 and earlier; illumos before r13724; Joyent SmartOS before 20120614T184600Z; FreeBSD before 9.0-RELEASE-p3; NetBSD 6.0 Beta and earlier; Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 and R2 SP1 and Windows 7 Gold and SP1; and possibly other operating systems, when running on an Intel processor, incorrectly uses the sysret path in cases where a certain address is not a canonical address, which allows local users to gain privileges via a crafted application. NOTE: because this issue is due to incorrect use of the Intel specification, it should have been split into separate identifiers; however, there was some value in preserving the original mapping of the multi-codebase coordinated-disclosure effort to a single identifier.
How severe is CVE-2012-0217?
CVE-2012-0217 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.2, rated high severity.
Is CVE-2012-0217 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 37% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-0217?
CVE-2012-0217 primarily affects Citrix Xenserver. In total, 20 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2012-0217?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2012-0217 published?
CVE-2012-0217 was published on 2012-06-12 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (20)

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