How severe is CVE-2012-1517?

CVE-2012-1517 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.0, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2012-1517 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (82nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2012-1517?

CVE-2012-1517 primarily affects Vmware Esx. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2012-1517?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2012-1517 published?

CVE-2012-1517 was published on 2012-05-04 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2012-1517

CVE-2012-1517 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Vmware Esx with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.0. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 9.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (82nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Vmware Esx
Published: 2012-05-04
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The VMX process in VMware ESXi 4.1 and ESX 4.1 does not properly handle RPC commands, which allows guest OS users to cause a denial of service (memory overwrite and process crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code on the host OS via vectors involving function pointers.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-1517?: The VMX process in VMware ESXi 4.1 and ESX 4.1 does not properly handle RPC commands, which allows guest OS users to cause a denial of service (memory overwrite and process crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code on the host OS via vectors involving function pointers.
How severe is CVE-2012-1517?: CVE-2012-1517 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.0, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2012-1517 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (82nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-1517?: CVE-2012-1517 primarily affects Vmware Esx. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2012-1517?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2012-1517 published?: CVE-2012-1517 was published on 2012-05-04 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esxi:4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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