ReceiverApplication · Citrix
CVE-2012-4603
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 · uneditedCitrix XenApp Online Plug-in for Windows 12.1 and earlier, and Citrix Receiver for Windows 3.2 and earlier could allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by convincing a target to open a specially crafted file from an SMB or WebDAV fileserver.
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 confidenceCitrix XenApp Online Plug-in for Windows 12.1 and earlier and Citrix Receiver for Windows 3.2 and earlier contain a vulnerability in file parsing logic that allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by tricking users into opening specially crafted files served from SMB or WebDAV servers. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of file content during the parsing process, allowing malicious code to be executed in the context of the logged-on user.
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
ReceiverApplication
<= 3.2
Xenapp OnlineApplication
<= 12.1CVSS 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 installed Citrix productCheck Programs and Features or use registry key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall for entries containing 'Citrix Receiver' or 'Citrix XenApp Online Plug-in'Affected if Either product is listed in installed programs
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Check Citrix Receiver versionOpen registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\Receiver\Version or check the About section in the Citrix Receiver icon in the system trayAffected if Version is 3.2 or lower (e.g., 3.2, 3.1, 3.0, etc.)
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Check XenApp Online Plug-in versionOpen registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Citrix\XenApp\Install\Version or check the version in Add/Remove ProgramsAffected if Version is 12.1 or lower (e.g., 12.1, 12.0, 11.x, etc.)
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Verify SMB/WebDAV automatic handling is enabledCheck the Citrix Receiver or XenApp configuration for 'Automatic client drive mapping' or 'Automatic file type association' settings that handle files from network locations. Look in the Advanced Settings or Connection Center.Affected if Automatic file handling from network locations (SMB/WebDAV) is enabled
If either Citrix Receiver 3.2 or earlier or XenApp Online 12.1 or earlier is installed AND automatic file handling from SMB/WebDAV sources is enabled, the environment is vulnerable to this CVE.
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.
From vendor dataUpgrade to Citrix XenApp Online Plug-in 12.2+ or Citrix Receiver 3.3+ to obtain the vendor patch. Until then, disable automatic file handling from SMB/WebDAV sources and instruct users to avoid opening files from untrusted network locations.
Fix this in Receiver
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-4603 — 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-2012-4603 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