dbcve.org
Score MHardware / appliance · Zte

CVE-2012-2949

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-05-29
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
The ZTE sync_agent program for Android 2.3.4 on the Score M device uses a hardcoded ztex1609523 password to control access to commands, which allows remote attackers to gain privileges via a crafted application.

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

The ZTE sync_agent application on Android 2.3.4 (Score M device) contains a hardcoded password 'ztex1609523' embedded directly in the code. This password controls access to privileged commands within the application. An attacker who discovers this password (which is static and unchangeable in the application binary) can craft a malicious application or send commands directly to sync_agent to execute with elevated privileges, effectively bypassing all authentication controls.

MitigationSince this is a hardcoded credential vulnerability in a legacy embedded device, the primary mitigation is network isolation to limit exposure, as the application itself cannot be patched. If the sync_agent service is not essential, it should be disabled. For long-term security, replacement of the end-of-life device is recommended.

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
Score MHardware / appliance
Affected:all versions

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
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/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 the device model
    Check if the device is a ZTE Score M by examining the device model information in system settings or via 'getprop ro.product.model' command
    Affected if Device model is ZTE Score M
  2. Verify Android version
    Check if Android version 2.3.4 is installed via 'getprop ro.build.version.release' command or in system settings
    Affected if Android version is 2.3.4
  3. Locate sync_agent application
    Search for the sync_agent APK or binary on the device filesystem, typically in /system/app/ or /data/app/ directories
    Affected if sync_agent application is present on the device
  4. Determine if sync_agent is running
    Check running processes using 'ps' command or examine listening network ports using 'netstat' to see if sync_agent service is active and listening
    Affected if sync_agent process is running and bound to network ports
  5. Inspect binary for hardcoded credential
    Extract and analyze the sync_agent binary or APK for the string 'ztex1609523' using strings command or hex editor
    Affected if The hardcoded password 'ztex1609523' is found in the application binary

The device is affected if it is a ZTE Score M running Android 2.3.4 with the sync_agent application present and the hardcoded password embedded in its binary.

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

Since this is a hardcoded credential vulnerability in a legacy embedded device, the primary mitigation is network isolation to limit exposure, as the application itself cannot be patched. If the sync_agent service is not essential, it should be disabled. For long-term security, replacement of the end-of-life device is recommended.

Recommended fix High confidence
  1. This vulnerability exists in a pre-installed system application (sync_agent) on the ZTE Score M device.
  2. The affected device (ZTE Score M with Android 2.3.4) is a legacy budget phone from approximately 2012.
  3. No vendor firmware updates are available for this deprecated device.
  4. Replace the affected device with a currently-supported Android device that receives security updates.
  5. If device replacement is not feasible, consider installing a custom ROM like LineageOS if one is available for this device, though this requires rooting and voids warranty.
  6. For production environments, remove the device from any sensitive networks or replace it entirely.
Caveat Device replacement required - no firmware patch available for this legacy device

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

Fix this in Score M Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $3,050
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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-2012-2949 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
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