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.net FrameworkApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2012-0161

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-05-09
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0 SP3, 1.1 SP1, 2.0 SP2, 3.0 SP2, 3.5 SP1, 3.5.1, and 4 does not properly handle an unspecified exception during use of partially trusted assemblies to serialize input data, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a crafted XAML browser application (aka XBAP) or (2) a crafted .NET Framework application, aka ".NET Framework Serialization Vulnerability."

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

This is a serialization vulnerability in Microsoft .NET Framework versions 1.0 SP3 through 4 where improper exception handling during data serialization via partially trusted assemblies allows remote code execution. Attackers can exploit this by delivering crafted XAML Browser Applications (XBAP) or malicious .NET applications that abuse the serialization process.

MitigationApply Microsoft security update MS12-027 to all affected .NET Framework installations. As a compensating control, disable XBAP support in Internet Explorer and restrict code execution from untrusted sources until patches can be deployed.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
.net FrameworkApplication
Affected:= 1.0= 1.1= 2.0= 3.0= 3.5= 3.5.1= 4.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed .NET Framework version
    Open Windows Registry and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full (for .NET 4) or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5\Setup (for earlier versions). Check the Version value in each subkey.
    Affected if The installed version falls within 1.0 SP3 through 4.0 (all versions listed in the affected products)
  2. Verify XBAP support status in Internet Explorer
    Open Internet Explorer, go to Internet Options > Security > Custom Level. Scroll to 'XAML Browser Applications' and check whether the option is set to Enable or Prompt.
    Affected if XBAP support is enabled or set to Prompt in Internet Explorer, as this is a documented attack vector for this vulnerability
  3. Check .NET configuration for code access security
    Open the .NET Framework Configuration tool (mscorcfg.msc) or check the machine.config files in the .NET installation directory for SecurityPolicy settings related to trust levels.
    Affected if Partially trusted assemblies or code groups with reduced trust permissions are permitted to run, as the vulnerability exploits improper exception handling during serialization of partially trusted code

A system is affected if it runs any .NET Framework version from 1.0 SP3 through 4.0 and has XBAP enabled or allows execution of partially trusted assemblies.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security update MS12-027 to all affected .NET Framework installations. As a compensating control, disable XBAP support in Internet Explorer and restrict code execution from untrusted sources until patches can be deployed.

Recommended fix High confidence

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 (or modern .NET 6/7/8 for new development)

  1. 1. Identify all applications using affected .NET Framework versions (1.0 SP3, 1.1 SP1, 2.0 SP2, 3.0 SP2, 3.5 SP1, 3.5.1, 4).
  2. 2. Test applications for compatibility with .NET Framework 4.8 (the last supported version of .NET Framework).
  3. 3. Migrate applications from end-of-life .NET Framework versions to .NET Framework 4.8 or modern .NET (6/7/8).
  4. 4. Apply any available security updates from MS12-035 if migration is not immediately feasible (note: these older versions are out of support).
  5. 5. Validate that the serialization vulnerability is no longer present after migration.
Caveat Applications may require code changes to support .NET Framework 4.8; full testing is required to ensure compatibility with the newer runtime

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in .net Framework Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,680
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-0161 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data