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Lotus InotesApplication · Ibm

CVE-2012-2175

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-06-20
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
Buffer overflow in the Attachment_Times method in a certain ActiveX control in dwa85W.dll in IBM Lotus iNotes 8.5.x before 8.5.3 FP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long argument.

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

Buffer overflow in the Attachment_Times method of the dwa85W.dll ActiveX control in IBM Lotus iNotes 8.5.x before 8.5.3 FP2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by supplying an overly long argument.

MitigationUpgrade IBM Lotus iNotes to version 8.5.3 FP2 or later, or disable the ActiveX control if upgrading is not immediately feasible.

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
Lotus InotesApplication
Affected:= 8.5.0.0= 8.5.0.1= 8.5.1.0= 8.5.1.1= 8.5.1.2= 8.5.1.3= 8.5.1.4= 8.5.1.5= 8.5.2.0= 8.5.2.1= 8.5.2.2= 8.5.2.3

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. Confirm IBM Lotus iNotes is installed
    Check for the presence of IBM Lotus iNotes in the system by looking for its installation directory (typically under Program Files/IBM/Lotus/iNotes) or check Add/Remove Programs for IBM Lotus iNotes
    Affected if If IBM Lotus iNotes is not installed, this CVE does not apply
  2. Identify installed iNotes version
    Locate the iNotes installation and check the version. The version is typically visible in the IBM Lotus iNotes about dialog, or check the dwa85W.dll file properties in the iNotes directory for its version info
    Affected if If the version is any of: 8.5.0.0, 8.5.0.1, 8.5.1.0, 8.5.1.1, 8.5.1.2, 8.5.1.3, 8.5.1.4, 8.5.1.5, 8.5.2.0, 8.5.2.1, 8.5.2.2, or 8.5.2.3, the version is within the affected range
  3. Locate the vulnerable ActiveX control
    Search for the file dwa85W.dll within the IBM Lotus iNotes installation directory. This is the ActiveX control containing the vulnerable Attachment_Times method
    Affected if If dwa85W.dll exists in the iNotes directory and the version matches an affected iNotes version, the vulnerable component is present
  4. Check if ActiveX control is registered
    Check Windows registry for the registered ActiveX control under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\Distribution Units\ or HKCU\...\ for CLSIDs associated with dwa85W.dll (IBM typically uses CLSID {DCF0C92A-2A0D-11D1-B982-00A0C91F9D0C} for this control)
    Affected if If the ActiveX control is registered and enabled in the browser, the vulnerability can be triggered; if it is not registered, exploitation is not possible through this vector

The environment is affected if IBM Lotus iNotes is installed with any version from 8.5.0.0 through 8.5.2.3 AND the dwa85W.dll ActiveX control is present and registered on the system.

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

Upgrade IBM Lotus iNotes to version 8.5.3 FP2 or later, or disable the ActiveX control if upgrading is not immediately feasible.

Recommended fix High confidence

IBM Lotus iNotes 8.5.3 Fix Pack 2 (FP2) or later

  1. 1. Identify current IBM Lotus iNotes installation version by checking the Domino server or client version
  2. 2. Ensure you have a complete backup of the current IBM Lotus iNotes installation including all databases and configuration files
  3. 3. Download IBM Lotus iNotes 8.5.3 Fix Pack 2 (FP2) from IBM Fix Central (fixcentral.ibm.com) or your IBM entitled software repository
  4. 4. Stop all IBM Lotus Domino server services or IBM Notes client processes before applying the update
  5. 5. Apply the 8.5.3 FP2 update following IBM's standard installation procedures for your platform (Windows, Linux, or AIX)
  6. 6. Restart the IBM Lotus Domino server or IBM Notes client after the update completes
  7. 7. Verify the installation completed successfully and the version shows 8.5.3 FP2 or higher
  8. 8. Test that the ActiveX control functionality works properly and the vulnerable Attachment_Times method is no longer exposed with the buffer overflow
Caveat Review IBM release notes for 8.5.3 FP2 for any compatibility changes with existing databases, templates, or third-party integrations; some customizations or older templates may require updates

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

Fix this in Lotus Inotes Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,200
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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-2012-2175 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
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