XendesktopApplication · Citrix
CVE-2012-6314
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 XenDesktop Virtual Desktop Agent (VDA) 5.6.x before 5.6.200, when making changes to the server-side policy that control USB redirection, does not propagate changes to the VDA, which allows authenticated users to retain access to the USB device.
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 confidenceIn Citrix XenDesktop VDA 5.6.x before 5.6.200, changes to server-side USB redirection policies are not propagated to the Virtual Desktop Agent. This means authenticated users may retain access to USB devices even after an administrator has revoked those permissions via policy, creating an authorization bypass.
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
XendesktopApplication
= 5.6CVSS 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
- None
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/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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Identify the XenDesktop VDA versionOn the Virtual Desktop Agent machine, open the Windows Control Panel and locate 'Citrix Virtual Desktop Agent' in Programs and Features, or run 'vda-version.exe' from the VDA installation directory. Alternatively, check the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Citrix\VirtualDesktopAgent for the Version value.Affected if The installed version is 5.6.0 through 5.6.199 (any 5.6.x build prior to 5.6.200).
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Verify USB redirection policies are configuredOpen the Citrix Delivery Services Console or Group Policy Management on the Citrix server. Navigate to the USB redirection policy settings under 'Connections' or 'Client USB device redirection' policy settings.Affected if USB redirection policies are defined (either allowed or restricted) and the VDA version is vulnerable.
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Test policy propagation by modifying a USB ruleIn the Citrix policy console, create a new USB redirection policy rule (for example, deny a specific USB device class) or modify an existing rule. Wait for the policy refresh interval (or run 'gpupdate /force' on the VDA). Then verify the policy has been applied by checking the VDA registry or event logs.Affected if After changing the policy, the changes are NOT reflected on the VDA within the expected refresh window, indicating policy propagation is broken.
A user is affected if they are running any XenDesktop VDA version between 5.6.0 and 5.6.199 that has USB redirection policies configured, and those policies fail to propagate from the server to the VDA.
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 the XenDesktop VDA to version 5.6.200 or later to receive the policy propagation fix. After upgrading, verify that USB redirection policies are correctly applied and test that policy changes are honored.
Fix this in Xendesktop
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 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 $2,800.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-6314 — 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-2012-6314 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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