How severe is CVE-2012-3489?

CVE-2012-3489 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2012-3489 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2012-3489?

CVE-2012-3489 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop. In total, 19 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2012-3489?

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

When was CVE-2012-3489 published?

CVE-2012-3489 was published on 2012-10-03 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2012-3489

CVE-2012-3489 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5. 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-611.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.5)
CVSS v2: 4.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (86th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-611
Affected product: Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop
Published: 2012-10-03
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The xml_parse function in the libxml2 support in the core server component in PostgreSQL 8.3 before 8.3.20, 8.4 before 8.4.13, 9.0 before 9.0.9, and 9.1 before 9.1.5 allows remote authenticated users to determine the existence of arbitrary files or URLs, and possibly obtain file or URL content that triggers a parsing error, via an XML value that refers to (1) a DTD or (2) an entity, related to an XML External Entity (aka XXE) issue.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-3489?: The xml_parse function in the libxml2 support in the core server component in PostgreSQL 8.3 before 8.3.20, 8.4 before 8.4.13, 9.0 before 9.0.9, and 9.1 before 9.1.5 allows remote authenticated users to determine the existence of arbitrary files or URLs, and possibly obtain file or URL content that triggers a parsing error, via an XML value that refers to (1) a DTD or (2) an entity, related to an XML External Entity (aka XXE) issue.
How severe is CVE-2012-3489?: CVE-2012-3489 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2012-3489 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-3489?: CVE-2012-3489 primarily affects Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop. In total, 19 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2012-3489?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2012-3489 published?: CVE-2012-3489 was published on 2012-10-03 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (19)

cpe:2.3:a:postgresql:postgresql:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:11.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:12.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:12.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x_server:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:apple:mac_os_x_server:10.6.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.04:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:10.04:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:11.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:11.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:12.04:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_desktop:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_eus:6.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_server:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux_workstation:6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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