dbcve.org
Web GatewayApplication · Symantec

CVE-2012-2976

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-07-23
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 management console in Symantec Web Gateway 5.0.x before 5.0.3.18 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands via crafted input to application scripts, related to an "injection" issue.

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

Command injection vulnerability in the management console of Symantec Web Gateway 5.0.x before 5.0.3.18 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands via crafted input to application scripts due to insufficient input validation.

MitigationUpgrade to Symantec Web Gateway version 5.0.3.18 or later to patch the vulnerability. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to the management console to reduce exposure.

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
Web GatewayApplication
Affected:= 5.0= 5.0.1= 5.0.2= 5.0.3

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
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. Confirm Symantec Web Gateway installation
    Look for the product installation by checking for /opt/Symantec/webgateway/ directory or searching for 'symantec' or 'webgateway' in running processes using commands like 'ps aux | grep -i symantec' or 'ls -la /opt/'
    Affected if Symantec Web Gateway is not found in the expected installation directories or running processes
  2. Identify installed version
    Check the version file in the installation directory, typically found in /opt/Symantec/webgateway/version.txt or by running 'cat /opt/Symantec/webgateway/version.txt' if the directory exists
    Affected if The installed version is 5.0, 5.0.1, 5.0.2, or 5.0.3 (any version before 5.0.3.18)
  3. Verify management console accessibility
    Check if the management console web interface is accessible by attempting to reach the login page at the default HTTPS port, typically https://your-server:443/swg/login.php or checking network listeners with 'netstat -an | grep -E ':(443|80|8080)'
    Affected if The management console is reachable from network locations beyond localhost or trusted admin networks
  4. Identify vulnerable script endpoints
    Review web server configuration files or access logs for requests to application scripts in the management console, such as those in the /swg/ directory that process user-supplied input
    Affected if The application scripts that handle console input are accessible and the version is within the affected range (5.0.x before 5.0.3.18)

A defender is affected if Symantec Web Gateway versions 5.0 through 5.0.3 are installed and the management console is network-accessible, allowing remote attackers to inject commands through unsanitized input fields.

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 to Symantec Web Gateway version 5.0.3.18 or later to patch the vulnerability. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to the management console to reduce exposure.

Recommended fix High confidence

Symantec Web Gateway 5.0.3.18 or later

  1. 1. Identify the current installed version of Symantec Web Gateway (5.0, 5.0.1, 5.0.2, or 5.0.3)
  2. 2. Obtain theSymantec Web Gateway 5.0.3.18 update or later from the vendor's official download site
  3. 3. Review the vendor's upgrade documentation for the specific upgrade procedure
  4. 4. Backup the current configuration and data
  5. 5. Apply the upgrade to version 5.0.3.18 or later
  6. 6. Verify the upgrade was successful and the management console is functional
  7. 7. Confirm the command injection vulnerability is remediated by testing or vendor validation

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

Fix this in Web Gateway Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,580
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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-2012-2976 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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