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Anyconnect Secure Mobility ClientApplication · Cisco

CVE-2012-3088

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-09-16
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
Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client 3.1.x before 3.1.00495, and 3.2.x, does not check whether an HTTP request originally contains ScanSafe headers, which allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via a crafted request, aka Bug ID CSCua13166.

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 · moderate confidence

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client versions 3.1.x before 3.1.00495 and 3.2.x fail to validate the presence of ScanSafe security headers in HTTP requests. This allows remote attackers to craft malicious HTTP requests that bypass the cloud-based web security scanning, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution or traffic manipulation.

MitigationUpgrade Cisco AnyConnect Client to version 3.1.00495 or later to resolve the header validation bypass. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access and monitor for anomalous HTTP traffic patterns.

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
Anyconnect Secure Mobility ClientApplication
Affected:= 3.1.0= 3.2.0

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. Verify Cisco AnyConnect is installed
    Check for the presence of Cisco AnyConnect on the system. On Windows, look in Program Files for 'Cisco' or check the installed programs list. On macOS, check /Applications for Cisco AnyConnect. On Linux, check common installation paths like /opt/cisco/anyconnect.
    Affected if AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client is installed on the system
  2. Determine the installed version
    On Windows, open Add or Remove Programs and locate Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client to view the version number. On macOS, right-click the app in Applications and select Get Info to see the version. On Linux, run 'vpn' at the command line and look for version information, or check the .pkg or .dmg metadata.
    Affected if The version is 3.1.0 or 3.2.0, or falls within 3.1.x before 3.1.00495 or any 3.2.x version
  3. Confirm ScanSafe web security feature is enabled
    Open the AnyConnect client and check the preferences or connection settings for ScanSafe or web security configuration. Look for any settings related to web protection, cloud security scanning, or ScanSafe. This may also be configured via group policy on Windows systems.
    Affected if The ScanSafe or web security scanning feature is enabled and processing HTTP traffic
  4. Inspect AnyConnect connection logs
    Review AnyConnect logs for any ScanSafe-related entries during VPN sessions. Logs are typically found in the system temp directory or under the Cisco AnyConnect profile directory. Search for entries mentioning 'ScanSafe', 'web security', or HTTP header processing.
    Affected if Logs show active ScanSafe web security scanning in use

The system is affected if Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client version 3.1.0, 3.2.0, or any 3.1.x before 3.1.00495 or 3.2.x is installed AND the ScanSafe/web security feature is enabled to process HTTP traffic.

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 Cisco AnyConnect Client to version 3.1.00495 or later to resolve the header validation bypass. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access and monitor for anomalous HTTP traffic patterns.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client 3.1.00495 or later (for 3.1.x); latest 3.2.x release with security fixes (for 3.2.x)

  1. 1. Verify the currently installed Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client version by checking Add/Remove Programs or the client UI
  2. 2. Download Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client version 3.1.00495 or later from the Cisco official download site (requires valid Cisco service contract)
  3. 3. Ensure any VPN connections are disconnected before upgrading
  4. 4. Uninstall the current version of Cisco AnyConnect through Windows Add/Remove Programs or the installer
  5. 5. Restart the endpoint system
  6. 6. Install the new version (3.1.00495 or later for 3.1.x line, or the latest available 3.2.x version that includes the fix)
  7. 7. Verify the installation completed successfully and note the new version number
  8. 8. Test VPN connectivity to ensure the client functions properly after upgrade
Caveat Standard upgrade risks apply - backup current configuration; some older VPN profiles may need re-importation; ensure compatibility with VPN concentrator firmware

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

Fix this in Anyconnect Secure Mobility Client Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
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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-2012-3088 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
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data