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Encryption DesktopApplication · Symantec

CVE-2012-4351

MEDIUM · 6.9 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-02-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Integer overflow in pgpwded.sys in Symantec PGP Desktop 10.x and Encryption Desktop 10.3.0 before MP1 allows local users 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

An integer overflow vulnerability exists in the pgpwded.sys kernel driver of Symantec PGP Desktop 10.x and Encryption Desktop 10.3.0 before MP1. The flaw allows a local attacker to execute a specially crafted application to escalate privileges to kernel level.

MitigationApply the vendor patch by upgrading to Symantec Encryption Desktop 10.3.0 MP1 or later, or apply all subsequent security updates.

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
Encryption DesktopApplication
Affected:= 10.3.0
Pgp DesktopApplication
Affected:= 10.0.0= 10.0.1= 10.0.2= 10.0.3= 10.1.0= 10.1.1= 10.1.2= 10.2.0= 10.2.1

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
Local
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:L/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. Check if Symantec Encryption Desktop or PGP Desktop is installed
    Open Control Panel and look for 'Symantec Encryption Desktop' or 'PGP Desktop' in the programs list, or check the installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\PGP Corporation\ or C:\Program Files\Symantec\Encryption Desktop\)
    Affected if Either product is listed in installed programs
  2. Verify the installed version number
    Right-click the program in Control Panel and select 'Properties', or check the version in the application's 'About' dialog. Compare against affected versions: Encryption Desktop 10.3.0 or PGP Desktop 10.0.0 through 10.2.1
    Affected if The installed version matches exactly 10.3.0 for Encryption Desktop, or any version from 10.0.0 to 10.2.1 for PGP Desktop
  3. Locate the pgpwded.sys driver file
    Search for pgpwded.sys in the Windows System32\drivers folder or in the product installation directory (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\pgpwded.sys or within the PGP installation folder)
    Affected if The pgpwded.sys file exists on the system
  4. Check if the pgpwded.sys driver is loaded
    Open Command Prompt and run 'sc query pgpwded' or check Device Manager for the driver under 'Non-Plug and Play Drivers'
    Affected if The driver is present and loaded/running

A user is affected if they have Symantec Encryption Desktop 10.3.0 or PGP Desktop versions 10.0.0 through 10.2.1 installed with the pgpwded.sys driver present on the system.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor patch by upgrading to Symantec Encryption Desktop 10.3.0 MP1 or later, or apply all subsequent security updates.

Fix this in Encryption Desktop Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2012-4351 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