CVE-2012-4605
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 default configuration of the SMTP component in Websense Email Security 6.1 through 7.3 enables weak SSL ciphers in the "SurfControl plc\SuperScout Email Filter\SMTP" registry key, which makes it easier for remote attackers to obtain sensitive information by sniffing the network and then conducting a brute-force attack against encrypted session data.
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 confidenceWebsense Email Security versions 6.1 through 7.3 have weak SSL ciphers enabled by default in the SMTP component registry key 'SurfControl plc\SuperScout Email Filter\SMTP', allowing remote attackers to sniff network traffic and conduct brute-force attacks against encrypted session data to extract sensitive information.
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= 6.1= 7.0= 7.1= 7.2CVSS 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
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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Verify Websense Email Security is installedCheck the Windows registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Websense or look for Websense Email Security in Add/Remove Programs. Alternatively, check for the service 'SurfControl plc SuperScout Email Filter' in Windows Services.Affected if Websense Email Security version 6.1, 7.0, 7.1, 7.2, or 7.3 is installed
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Confirm SMTP component is configuredVerify the registry key 'SurfControl plc\SuperScout Email Filter\SMTP' exists under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services in the Windows registry.Affected if The SMTP registry key exists, indicating the SMTP component is present
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Locate SSL cipher settings in registryOpen the registry editor and navigate to HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SurfControl plc\SuperScout Email Filter\SMTP. Look for registry values related to SSL/TLS ciphers or encryption settings.Affected if Cipher-related values exist in this registry location
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Identify weak cipher configurationExamine any cipher-related values (such as 'Ciphers', 'EnabledCipherSuites', or similar named values) in the SMTP registry key. Check if the configuration allows weak or export-grade ciphers (e.g., NULL, RC4, DES, 3DES, or export ciphers).Affected if Weak, export, or known-vulnerable SSL ciphers are enabled or listed in the cipher configuration
If Websense Email Security versions 6.1-7.3 is installed with the SMTP component and the registry key contains weak SSL cipher settings, the environment is affected by 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 dataDisable weak SSL ciphers and configure strong TLS ciphers in the affected registry key, following current best practices for SSL/TLS configuration.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-4605 — 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-2012-4605 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