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Ubuntu Software PropertiesApplication · Canonical

CVE-2012-5356

MEDIUM · 5.8 CVSS v2.0 Published 2012-10-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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
The apt-add-repository tool in Ubuntu Software Properties 0.75.x before 0.75.10.3, 0.80.x before 0.80.9.2, 0.81.x before 0.81.13.5, 0.82.x before 0.82.7.3, and 0.92.x before 0.92.8 does not properly check PPA GPG keys imported from a keyserver, which allows remote attackers to install arbitrary package repository GPG keys via a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.

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

The apt-add-repository tool in Ubuntu Software Properties fails to properly validate GPG keys imported from key servers. During key import, the tool does not verify the authenticity of keys, enabling a man-in-the-middle attacker to inject malicious GPG keys into the system's package repository configuration, potentially allowing installation of packages from attacker-controlled repositories.

MitigationUpdate Ubuntu Software Properties to the patched versions (0.75.10.3+, 0.80.9.2+, 0.81.13.5+, 0.82.7.3+, or 0.92.8+). Alternatively, manually verify GPG keys before import using out-of-band verification methods and avoid importing keys over untrusted networks.

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
Ubuntu Software PropertiesApplication
Affected:= 0.75.4= 0.75.5= 0.75.6= 0.75.7= 0.75.8= 0.75.9= 0.75.10= 0.75.10.1= 0.75.10.2= 0.80= 0.80.2= 0.80.3

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
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Partial
Availability
Partial

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:P

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 installed software-properties package version
    Run `dpkg -l | grep software-properties` or `apt-cache policy python-software-properties software-properties-common` to see the installed version
    Affected if The installed version matches one of the affected versions: 0.75.4, 0.75.5, 0.75.6, 0.75.7, 0.75.8, 0.75.9, 0.75.10, 0.75.10.1, 0.75.10.2, 0.80, 0.80.2, or 0.80.3
  2. Identify repositories added via apt-add-repository
    Examine files in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ and check for .list files that may have been added using apt-add-repository, particularly PPA entries (lines containing 'launchpad.net' and 'add-apt-repository')
    Affected if Any third-party PPAs or repositories were added to the system using apt-add-repository
  3. Check for manually imported GPG keys
    Review GPG keys in /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/ and the legacy /usr/share/keyrings/ directory, noting which keys were added manually versus from the Ubuntu keyserver
    Affected if GPG keys exist in the trusted keyring that were imported from key servers using apt-add-repository without out-of-band verification
  4. Verify network context of key imports
    Determine whether apt-add-repository was run over untrusted networks (public WiFi, etc.) where a man-in-the-middle attack could have occurred during key downloads
    Affected if apt-add-repository was executed to import GPG keys from key servers while on an untrusted or public network

The environment is affected if the installed software-properties version is one of the affected versions listed AND any repositories or GPG keys were added using apt-add-repository, especially over untrusted network connections where a man-in-the-middle could have injected malicious keys.

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

Update Ubuntu Software Properties to the patched versions (0.75.10.3+, 0.80.9.2+, 0.81.13.5+, 0.82.7.3+, or 0.92.8+). Alternatively, manually verify GPG keys before import using out-of-band verification methods and avoid importing keys over untrusted networks.

Fix this in Ubuntu Software Properties Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
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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-2012-5356 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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