CVE-2012-4248
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 · uneditedThe Amazon Kindle Touch before 5.1.2 does not properly restrict access to the libkindleplugin.so NPAPI plugin interface, which might allow remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via vectors involving the (1) dev.log, (2) lipc.set, (3) lipc.get, or (4) todo.scheduleItems method, a different vulnerability than CVE-2012-4249.
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 confidenceAmazon Kindle Touch devices before firmware 5.1.2 contain an access control flaw in the libkindleplugin.so NPAPI plugin where the interface is not properly restricted, potentially allowing remote attackers to invoke privileged methods (dev.log, lipc.set, lipc.get, todo.scheduleItems) for unspecified impact.
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<= 5.1.1= 5.1.0CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify device modelCheck if the device is an Amazon Kindle Touch. On the device, go to Settings > Device Info, or check the device packaging/label for the model number.Affected if The device is not a Kindle Touch (different models like Kindle Keyboard, Kindle Paperwhite are not affected)
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Check firmware versionOn the Kindle Touch, go to Settings > Device Options > Device Info, or check the firmware version through the system menu. The version is typically displayed as a number like 5.1.0, 5.1.1, etc.Affected if Firmware version is 5.1.1 or earlier (5.1.0, 5.0.5, etc.). Versions 5.1.2 and later are not affected.
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Verify libkindleplugin.so NPAPI plugin presenceCheck for the presence of libkindleplugin.so file on the device filesystem. This file is typically located in the plugin directory used for web browser functionality.Affected if The libkindleplugin.so NPAPI plugin file exists on the device (the vulnerability exists in this component)
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Assess network exposureDetermine if the Kindle Touch device is accessible over the network. Check if WiFi is enabled and if the device can be reached from other network devices.Affected if The Kindle Touch is connected to a network with accessible web browser functionality, as this is a remote attack vector
The device is affected if it is a Kindle Touch running firmware version 5.1.1 or earlier with the libkindleplugin.so NPAPI plugin present and network-accessible.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedUpdate Kindle Touch devices to firmware version 5.1.2 or later to obtain the vendor patch that properly restricts NPAPI plugin access. If firmware update is not possible, restrict network exposure of affected devices.
5.1.2
- On the Kindle Touch, navigate to Settings
- Access the device menu and select 'Update Your Kindle' or check for system updates
- Ensure the firmware updates to version 5.1.2 or later
- Alternatively, download the official Amazon firmware update for Kindle Touch version 5.1.2 from Amazon's support website and manually install it
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-4248 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-4248 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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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.
- 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