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GimpApplication

CVE-2012-4245

MEDIUM · 6.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-08-31
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.6.13 or later.
See remediation →
77/100
Remediation priority · High
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 scriptfu network server in GIMP 2.6 does not require authentication, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via the python-fu-eval command.

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 scriptfu network server in GIMP 2.6 lacks authentication, enabling remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands through the python-fu-eval command. This is a critical design flaw where a network service exposes dangerous functionality without access controls.

MitigationDisable the scriptfu network server if not needed; otherwise, implement network-level access controls or authentication to restrict access to trusted users only.

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
GimpApplication
Affected:>= 2.6.0, <= 2.6.13

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
Partial
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

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. Check installed GIMP version
    Run 'gimp --version' or look in Help > About GIMP to see the exact version number
    Affected if Version is between 2.6.0 and 2.6.13 inclusive (vulnerable range)
  2. Determine if scriptfu network server is enabled
    Look in GIMP preferences under 'Script-Fu > Server' or check for a scriptfu-server process listening on network ports (default port 10008)
    Affected if The scriptfu network server is turned on and listening on a network interface
  3. Verify network exposure of scriptfu server
    Use 'netstat -anp' or 'ss -anp' to check if port 10008 (default scriptfu server port) is open and bound to 0.0.0.0 rather than localhost only
    Affected if The server is listening on all interfaces (0.0.0.0) making it network-accessible
  4. Check for recent connection or execution logs
    Review system logs and any available GIMP scriptfu server logs for python-fu-eval invocations from remote IP addresses
    Affected if There are logged python-fu-eval commands from unexpected or external IP addresses

You are affected if GIMP version is 2.6.0-2.6.13 AND the scriptfu network server is enabled and accessible (not restricted to localhost). The vulnerability only matters when the server is running.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.6.13
Interim mitigation

Disable the scriptfu network server if not needed; otherwise, implement network-level access controls or authentication to restrict access to trusted users only.

Fix this in Gimp Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,090
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,744.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2012-4245 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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