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Spss SamplepowerApplication · Ibm

CVE-2012-5947

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2013-04-30
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Buffer overflow in the vsflex7l ActiveX control in IBM SPSS SamplePower 3.0 before FP1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors.

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 · moderate confidence

Buffer overflow vulnerability in the vsflex7l ActiveX control in IBM SPSS SamplePower 3.0 prior to FP1 patch. The overflow allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting the ActiveX control through unspecified vectors, achieving high severity (CVSS 9.3) due to the potential for complete system compromise.

MitigationApply IBM SPSS SamplePower 3.0 FP1 patch to address the buffer overflow in the vsflex7l ActiveX control. Consider disabling ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer and restricting user privileges as defense-in-depth measures until the patch is applied.

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
Spss SamplepowerApplication
Affected:= 3.0.0.0

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
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/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. Verify IBM SPSS SamplePower installation
    Check for the presence of IBM SPSS SamplePower in the system. Common installation paths include C:\Program Files\IBM\SPSS SamplePower\ or check Add/Remove Programs for the software.
    Affected if IBM SPSS SamplePower 3.0 is installed on the system
  2. Determine installed version
    Locate the version information for IBM SPSS SamplePower. Check the executable properties (right-click on SamplePower.exe, select Properties, view Version tab) or look for version info in the installation directory.
    Affected if The installed version is exactly 3.0.0.0 (unpatched)
  3. Check for FP1 patch presence
    Inspect the installed files for evidence of FP1 patch. Check the program's About dialog or examine file timestamps in the installation directory. The unpatched version will lack FP1-specific updates.
    Affected if FP1 patch has NOT been applied (version remains at 3.0.0.0 without patch-level update)
  4. Identify vsflex7l ActiveX control presence
    Search for the vsflex7l.ocx or vsflex7l.dll file in the system (commonly in System32 or the application directory). This ActiveX control is the vulnerable component.
    Affected if The vsflex7l ActiveX control file exists on the system

A user is affected if IBM SPSS SamplePower version 3.0.0.0 is installed without the FP1 patch and the vsflex7l ActiveX control is present.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply IBM SPSS SamplePower 3.0 FP1 patch to address the buffer overflow in the vsflex7l ActiveX control. Consider disabling ActiveX controls in Internet Explorer and restricting user privileges as defense-in-depth measures until the patch is applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

IBM SPSS SamplePower 3.0 FP1 (Fix Pack 1) or later

  1. Verify current IBM SPSS SamplePower version by opening the application and checking 'Help' > 'About SPSS SamplePower'
  2. Download IBM SPSS SamplePower Fix Pack 1 (FP1) or later from the official IBM support website (www-01.ibm.com)
  3. Back up any existing data, custom scripts, and output files before applying the update
  4. Install SPSS SamplePower FP1 by running the downloaded installer and following the on-screen prompts
  5. Restart the application after installation completes
  6. Confirm the installed version by checking 'Help' > 'About SPSS SamplePower' to verify the version now shows FP1 or higher
Caveat Review IBM fix pack release notes for any changes to file formats or functionality; test critical workflows before deploying to production

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

Fix this in Spss Samplepower 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-2012-5947 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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