CVE-2015-8113
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 · uneditedUntrusted search path vulnerability in the client in Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP) 12.1 before 12.1-RU6-MP3 allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in a client install package. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2015-1492.
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 confidenceThis is a DLL hijacking (untrusted search path) vulnerability in Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 client versions before 12.1-RU6-MP3. Local attackers can place a malicious DLL in a client install package directory, which SEP will load with elevated privileges, enabling local privilege escalation. The flaw exists because CVE-2015-1492 was incompletely fixed.
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<= 12.1CVSS 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
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:L/AC:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Confirm SEP 12.1 is installedCheck the installed programs or application list on the system for 'Symantec Endpoint Protection' or 'SEP' version 12.1Affected if Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 is present on the system
-
Determine the exact SEP versionOpen the Symantec Endpoint Protection client, go to Help > About, or check the version information in the program properties to identify the full version string (such as 12.1-RU6-MP2, 12.1-RU6, etc.)Affected if The version shows 12.1 without RU6-MP3 or later (or any version prior to 12.1-RU6-MP3)
-
Check if the vulnerable DLL search path condition existsExamine the SEP client installation directory structure for the presence of a 'Packages' or 'Install' subdirectory where SEP stores or caches client installation packages. Verify file system permissions on this directory allow limited users to write files.Affected if The installation package directory exists and permits write access to non-admin users
-
Verify the incomplete fix from CVE-2015-1492 is presentReview the SEP client behavior or logs to confirm that DLL loading from the install package directory still occurs with elevated privileges when client updates or package refresh operations runAffected if SEP loads DLLs from the install package directory under elevated privileges without validation
A system is affected if Symantec Endpoint Protection 12.1 is installed with a version earlier than 12.1-RU6-MP3 and the install package directory allows unauthorized DLL placement.
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 dataApply the vendor patch (SEP 12.1-RU6-MP3 or later) to address this incomplete fix from CVE-2015-1492. As an interim measure, ensure strict file system permissions on SEP installation directories to prevent unauthorized DLL placement.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2015-8113 — 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-2015-8113 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