GlobalprotectApplication · Paloaltonetworks
CVE-2012-6606
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 · uneditedPalo Alto Networks GlobalProtect before 1.1.7, and NetConnect, does not verify X.509 certificates from SSL servers, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to spoof portal servers and obtain sensitive information via a crafted certificate.
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 confidencePalo Alto Networks GlobalProtect (before 1.1.7) and NetConnect fail to validate X.509 certificates from SSL servers during HTTPS connections. This allows man-in-the-middle attackers to present fraudulent certificates and intercept encrypted communications, gaining access to sensitive information transmitted between the client and portal servers.
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
GlobalprotectApplication
<= 1.1.6
NetconnectApplication
all versionsCVSS 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
- Partial
- Integrity
- Partial
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/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.
-
Check if GlobalProtect client is installedLocate the GlobalProtect installation on the system (typically in Program Files or Applications folder), or use system inventory tools to detect the presence of Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect softwareAffected if GlobalProtect is found installed on the system
-
Determine GlobalProtect versionAccess the installed GlobalProtect application and navigate to About, Help, or Settings to view the version number, or right-click the executable and select Properties to view version detailsAffected if The installed version is 1.1.6 or earlier (any version through 1.1.6)
-
Check for NetConnect installationSearch system for Palo Alto Networks NetConnect software using system inventory, installed programs list, or file system searchAffected if NetConnect is found installed (all versions are affected)
-
Verify SSL certificate validation behaviorThis CVE describes a missing validation feature in the client code itself - the vulnerability exists in the code path that handles SSL server certificate verification during HTTPS connections to the portalAffected if Either GlobalProtect version is 1.1.6 or below, OR NetConnect is present on the system
If GlobalProtect version 1.1.6 or earlier is installed, or if NetConnect is present on the system, the environment is vulnerable to MITM attacks due to missing X.509 certificate validation.
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 GlobalProtect to version 1.1.7 or later, and ensure NetConnect is patched to include proper X.509 certificate chain validation before establishing SSL connections.
Fix this in Globalprotect
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2012-6606 — 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-2012-6606 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
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.
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