CVE-2012-0677
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 · uneditedHeap-based buffer overflow in Apple iTunes before 10.6.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted .m3u playlist.
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 confidenceHeap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Apple iTunes versions prior to 10.6.3 when parsing specially crafted .m3u playlist files. The overflow occurs in the heap memory region, allowing remote attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution or cause a denial of service via malicious playlist content.
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<= 10.6.1= 10.0= 10.0.1= 10.1= 10.1.1= 10.1.1.4= 10.1.2= 10.2= 10.2.2.12= 10.3= 10.3.1= 10.4CVSS 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.
-
Verify iTunes is installedOn Windows, check for iTunes in Program Files or via registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Apple Computer, Inc.\iTunes. On macOS, check /Applications for iTunes.app.Affected if iTunes is not installed on the system
-
Determine installed iTunes versionOn Windows, open iTunes and go to Help > About iTunes, or check the version in the iTunes registry key. On macOS, right-click iTunes in Applications and select Get Info, or run: defaults read /Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/Info CFBundleVersionAffected if Unable to determine the version number
-
Compare version against affected rangesCompare your installed version to the affected list: versions 10.0, 10.0.1, 10.1, 10.1.1, 10.1.1.4, 10.1.2, 10.2, 10.2.2.12, 10.3, 10.3.1, 10.4, and any version 10.6.1 or earlierAffected if Installed version matches one of the affected versions listed
-
Assess exposure to .m3u parsingiTunes automatically parses .m3u playlist files when opened or imported. Determine if users routinely import playlist files from external or untrusted sources.Affected if Users open or import .m3u playlist files from external or untrusted sources
You are affected if iTunes is installed with version 10.0 through 10.6.1 and users open .m3u playlist files in iTunes.
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 iTunes to version 10.6.3 or later. Avoid opening .m3u playlist files from untrusted sources until the update is applied.
iTunes 10.6.3
- Upgrade Apple iTunes to version 10.6.3 or later to remediate the heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability
- Verify the installed version by opening iTunes and checking About iTunes
- After upgrading, ensure iTunes runs without crashes to confirm the fix is effective
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-0677 — 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-2012-0677 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