ChromeWeb browser · Google

CVE-2012-5142

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-12-12

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to after 23.0.1271.96 or later.

See remediation →

100/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

Google Chrome before 23.0.1271.97 does not properly handle history navigation, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (application crash) via unspecified vectors.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Google Chrome before version 23.0.1271.97 contains a vulnerability in its history navigation handling. Successful exploitation allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code or crash the application via unspecified vectors related to how the browser processes history navigation events.

MitigationUpdate Google Chrome to version 23.0.1271.97 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations should ensure endpoint protection and browser update mechanisms are in place.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

ChromeWeb browser

Affected:<= 23.0.1271.96= 23.0.1271.0= 23.0.1271.1= 23.0.1271.2= 23.0.1271.3= 23.0.1271.4= 23.0.1271.5= 23.0.1271.6= 23.0.1271.7= 23.0.1271.8= 23.0.1271.9= 23.0.1271.10

OpensuseOperating system

Affected:= 12.1= 12.2

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Authentication: None
Confidentiality: Complete
Integrity: Complete
Availability: Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

Check installed Chrome version

Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://version, or click Help > About Google Chrome. Alternatively, on Windows check the executable version property, or on Linux run 'google-chrome --version' or 'chromium --version' in terminal.

Affected if The displayed version is 23.0.1271.96 or lower, or falls within 23.0.1271.0 through 23.0.1271.10 (any point release in that range).
Verify specific vulnerable point releases

If the version shows 23.0.1271.x where x is 0 through 10, the installation is specifically listed as vulnerable in the CVE.

Affected if The version exactly matches any of: 23.0.1271.0, 23.0.1271.1, 23.0.1271.2, 23.0.1271.3, 23.0.1271.4, 23.0.1271.5, 23.0.1271.6, 23.0.1271.7, 23.0.1271.8, 23.0.1271.9, or 23.0.1271.10.
Confirm version is before the fix

Compare your installed version number to 23.0.1271.97. If your version is lower than 23.0.1271.97, you are running a vulnerable version.

Affected if The version is less than 23.0.1271.97 (for example, 23.0.1271.96, 22.x, or earlier).

You are affected if your installed Google Chrome version is 23.0.1271.96 or any version from 23.0.1271.0 through 23.0.1271.10; the vulnerability was fixed in version 23.0.1271.97.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 23.0.1271.96

Interim mitigation

Update Google Chrome to version 23.0.1271.97 or later to remediate this vulnerability. Organizations should ensure endpoint protection and browser update mechanisms are in place.

Recommended fix High confidence

Chrome 23.0.1271.97 or later

Check the current Chrome version by navigating to chrome://version in the browser address bar
If the version is 23.0.1271.96 or earlier, download Google Chrome version 23.0.1271.97 or later from the official Google Chrome website (google.com/chrome)
Install the updated Chrome version following the on-screen prompts
Restart the Chrome browser to complete the installation
Verify the installed version is 23.0.1271.97 or higher by checking chrome://version again

Caveat None expected - this is a security patch within the same major version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Chrome Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation1.0 h
Implementation2.0 h
Testing1.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

5.0 hours of engineering $890

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Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2012-5142 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2012-5142?

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

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to after 23.0.1271.96 or later

Severity 10.0 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 2.7%

Affects: Chrome

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Fix this in Chrome 5 hrs · Low

Typical engagement from $890

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2012-5142 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References