How severe is CVE-2012-4953?

CVE-2012-4953 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2012-4953 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 6% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2012-4953?

CVE-2012-4953 primarily affects Symantec Antivirus. In total, 10 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2012-4953?

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-2012-4953 published?

CVE-2012-4953 was published on 2012-11-14 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2012-4953

CVE-2012-4953 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Symantec Antivirus with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3. 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 9.3)
EPSS exploit prediction: 6% (93rd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Symantec Antivirus
Published: 2012-11-14
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The decomposer engine in Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) 11.0, Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition 12.0, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition (SAVCE) 10.x, and Symantec Scan Engine (SSE) before 5.2.8 does not properly perform bounds checks of the contents of CAB archives, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted file.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-4953?: The decomposer engine in Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) 11.0, Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition 12.0, Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition (SAVCE) 10.x, and Symantec Scan Engine (SSE) before 5.2.8 does not properly perform bounds checks of the contents of CAB archives, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted file.
How severe is CVE-2012-4953?: CVE-2012-4953 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 9.3, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2012-4953 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 6% (93rd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-4953?: CVE-2012-4953 primarily affects Symantec Antivirus. In total, 10 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2012-4953?: 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-2012-4953 published?: CVE-2012-4953 was published on 2012-11-14 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (10)

cpe:2.3:a:symantec:antivirus:10.1.0:-:corporate:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:antivirus:10.1.4:*:corporate:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:antivirus:10.1.5:*:corporate:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:antivirus:10.1.6:*:corporate:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:antivirus:10.1.7:*:corporate:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:antivirus:10.1.8:*:corporate:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:antivirus:10.1.9:*:corporate:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:endpoint_protection:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:endpoint_protection:12.0:-:small_business:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:scan_engine:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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