How severe is CVE-2018-12239?

CVE-2018-12239 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2018-12239 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2018-12239?

CVE-2018-12239 primarily affects Symantec Endpoint Protection. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2018-12239?

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

When was CVE-2018-12239 published?

CVE-2018-12239 was published on 2018-11-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2018-12239

CVE-2018-12239 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Symantec Endpoint Protection with a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 6.8)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (40th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Symantec Endpoint Protection
Published: 2018-11-29
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Norton prior to 22.15; Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) prior to 12.1.7454.7000 & 14.2; Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition (SEP SBE) prior to NIS-22.15.1.8 & SEP-12.1.7454.7000; and Symantec Endpoint Protection Cloud (SEP Cloud) prior to 22.15.1 may be susceptible to an AV bypass issue, which is a type of exploit that works to circumvent one of the virus detection engines to avoid a specific type of virus protection. One of the antivirus engines depends on a signature pattern from a database to identify malicious files and viruses; the antivirus bypass exploit looks to alter the file being scanned so it is not detected.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2018-12239?: Norton prior to 22.15; Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) prior to 12.1.7454.7000 & 14.2; Symantec Endpoint Protection Small Business Edition (SEP SBE) prior to NIS-22.15.1.8 & SEP-12.1.7454.7000; and Symantec Endpoint Protection Cloud (SEP Cloud) prior to 22.15.1 may be susceptible to an AV bypass issue, which is a type of exploit that works to circumvent one of the virus detection engines to avoid a specific type of virus protection. One of the antivirus engines depends on a signature pattern from a database to identify malicious files and viruses; the antivirus bypass exploit looks to alter the file being scanned so it is not detected.
How severe is CVE-2018-12239?: CVE-2018-12239 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 6.8, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over physical access with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2018-12239 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (40th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2018-12239?: CVE-2018-12239 primarily affects Symantec Endpoint Protection. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2018-12239?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2018-12239 published?: CVE-2018-12239 was published on 2018-11-29 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:a:symantec:endpoint_protection:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:endpoint_protection_cloud:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:symantec:norton_antivirus:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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