How severe is CVE-2012-5195?

CVE-2012-5195 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.5, rated high severity.

Is CVE-2012-5195 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2012-5195?

CVE-2012-5195 primarily affects Perl. In total, 23 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2012-5195?

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-2012-5195 published?

CVE-2012-5195 was published on 2012-12-18 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2012-5195

CVE-2012-5195 is a high-severity vulnerability in Perl with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.5. 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-119.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 2.0 base score 7.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (91st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Perl
Published: 2012-12-18
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in the Perl_repeatcpy function in util.c in Perl 5.12.x before 5.12.5, 5.14.x before 5.14.3, and 5.15.x before 15.15.5 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via the 'x' string repeat operator.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2012-5195?: Heap-based buffer overflow in the Perl_repeatcpy function in util.c in Perl 5.12.x before 5.12.5, 5.14.x before 5.14.3, and 5.15.x before 15.15.5 allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (memory consumption and crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via the 'x' string repeat operator.
How severe is CVE-2012-5195?: CVE-2012-5195 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.5, rated high severity.
Is CVE-2012-5195 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2012-5195?: CVE-2012-5195 primarily affects Perl. In total, 23 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2012-5195?: 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-2012-5195 published?: CVE-2012-5195 was published on 2012-12-18 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (23)

cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.0:rc0:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.2:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.3:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.3:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.3:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.12.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.14.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.14.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.14.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.14.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.14.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:perl:perl:5.14.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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