CVE-2012-3480

CVE-2012-3480 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnu Glibc with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.6. 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-189.

Key facts

• Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 4.6)
• EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (58th percentile)
• Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
• Weakness: CWE-189
• Affected product: Gnu Glibc
• Published: 2012-08-25
• Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Multiple integer overflows in the (1) strtod, (2) strtof, (3) strtold, (4) strtod_l, and other unspecified "related functions" in stdlib in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) 2.16 allow local users to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long string, which triggers a stack-based buffer overflow.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-3480?

Multiple integer overflows in the (1) strtod, (2) strtof, (3) strtold, (4) strtod_l, and other unspecified "related functions" in stdlib in GNU C Library (aka glibc or libc6) 2.16 allow local users to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a long string, which triggers a stack-based buffer overflow.

How severe is CVE-2012-3480?

CVE-2012-3480 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.6, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2012-3480 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (58th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2012-3480?

CVE-2012-3480 affects Gnu Glibc. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2012-3480?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2012-3480 published?

CVE-2012-3480 was published on 2012-08-25 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

• http://lists.fedoraproject.org/pipermail/package-announce/2012-August/085190.html
• http://osvdb.org/84710
• http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1207.html
• http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1208.html
• http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1262.html
• http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1325.html
• http://secunia.com/advisories/50201
• http://secunia.com/advisories/50422
• http://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=14459
• http://sourceware.org/ml/libc-alpha/2012-08/msg00202.html
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2012/08/13/4
• http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2012/08/13/6
• http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/54982
• http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1027374
• http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-1589-1
• https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201503-04

Affected products (1)

• cpe:2.3:a:gnu:glibc:2.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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