CVE-2012-0439
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 · uneditedAn ActiveX control in gwcls1.dll in the client in Novell GroupWise 8.0 before 8.0.3 HP2 and 2012 before SP1 HP1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a pointer argument to the SetEngine method or (2) an XPItem pointer argument to an unspecified method.
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 confidenceAn ActiveX control in gwcls1.dll in Novell GroupWise client versions 8.0 before 8.0.3 HP2 and 2012 before SP1 HP1 contains a vulnerability that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via improper handling of pointer arguments to the SetEngine method or an unspecified method accepting XPItem pointers.
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= 8.0= 8.00= 8.01= 8.02= 8.03= 2012CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check if Novell GroupWise client is installedLook for GroupWise installation directory or check Add/Remove Programs for Novell GroupWise entriesAffected if GroupWise client is present on the system
-
Identify the installed GroupWise versionCheck the version of the GroupWise client software (typically via help > about or installation metadata)Affected if Version is 8.0, 8.00, 8.01, 8.02, 8.03, or 2012 (before SP1 HP1)
-
Locate the gwcls1.dll ActiveX controlSearch for gwcls1.dll in the GroupWise installation directory or system directoriesAffected if The vulnerable gwcls1.dll file exists on the system
-
Verify the ActiveX control is registered and enabled in Internet ExplorerCheck Internet Explorer security settings or registry for ActiveX controls related to GroupWise (CLSID for gwcls1.dll)Affected if The ActiveX control is enabled in Internet Explorer security settings
A user is affected if they have GroupWise version 8.0 through 8.03 or 2012 installed with the gwcls1.dll ActiveX control present and enabled in Internet Explorer.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedUpgrade GroupWise clients to version 8.0.3 HP2 or 2012 SP1 HP1 or later, or disable the ActiveX control in Internet Explorer security settings to prevent exploitation.
GroupWise 8.0.3 HP2 or GroupWise 2012 SP1 HP1
- Identify the currently installed GroupWise client version via Help > About GroupWise
- Download the appropriate hot patch (HP) for your version from Novell's support website
- Apply HP2 for GroupWise 8.0 (resolves versions 8.0, 8.00, 8.01, 8.02) or HP1 for GroupWise 2012
- Restart the GroupWise client after applying the patch
- Verify the patch was successfully applied by checking the version again
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-0439 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-0439 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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