Cyber Resilience

CVE-2012-1823

RCE in Suse Linux Enterprise Server 10 … 11

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRCECommand Injection
Published
11 May 2012
Modified
21 April 2026
KEV Added
25 March 2022
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.99 100.0th percentile
Risk Priority 97 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2012-1823 is a critical-severity Command Injection (CWE-77) vulnerability in Suse Linux Enterprise Server. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Command and Scripting Interpreter (T1059); ranked in the top 0.0% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

The vulnerability affects sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c in PHP versions before 5.3.12 and 5.4.x before 5.4.2 when the interpreter is configured to run as a CGI script (php-cgi). It stems from improper handling of query strings that lack an equals sign character and a failure to skip php_getopt processing in the 'd' case, which is tracked under CWE-77 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.8.

Remote attackers can exploit the flaw over the network without authentication by supplying command-line options directly in the query string, enabling them to execute arbitrary code on the affected server.

Vendor advisories referenced for this issue, including those from Apple, HP, and OpenSUSE, address mitigation through updates that resolve the CGI query-string handling defect.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 Injection

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c in PHP before 5.3.12 and 5.4.x before 5.4.2, when configured as a CGI script (aka php-cgi), does not properly handle query strings that lack an = (equals sign) character, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by placing…

more

command-line options in the query string, related to lack of skipping a certain php_getopt for the 'd' case.

CWE(s)
CWE-77
KEV Date Added
25 March 2022

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter Execution
Adversaries may abuse command and script interpreters to execute commands, scripts, or binaries.
attack.mitre.org →
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.001 PowerShell Execution
Adversaries may abuse PowerShell commands and scripts for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.003 Windows Command Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse the Windows command shell for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.004 Unix Shell Execution
Adversaries may abuse Unix shell commands and scripts for execution.
attack.mitre.org →
T1059.008 Network Device CLI Execution
Adversaries may abuse scripting or built-in command line interpreters (CLI) on network devices to execute malicious command and payloads.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2010-4345Same product: Debian Debian Linuxboth on KEV
CVE-2005-2773Same vendor: Hpboth on KEV
CVE-2023-1389Shared CWE-77both on KEV
CVE-2019-0541Shared CWE-77both on KEV
CVE-2020-25079Shared CWE-77both on KEV
CVE-2022-40765Shared CWE-77both on KEV
CVE-2023-20118Shared CWE-77both on KEV
CVE-2024-3273Shared CWE-77both on KEV
CVE-2025-59689Shared CWE-77both on KEV
CVE-2023-1671Shared CWE-77both on KEV

Affected Assets

php
php
≤ 5.3.12 · 5.4.0 — 5.4.2
fedoraproject
fedora
39, 40
debian
debian linux
6.0
hp
hp-ux
b.11.23, b.11.31
opensuse
opensuse
11.4, 12.1
suse
linux enterprise server
10, 11
suse
linux enterprise software development kit
10, 11
apple
mac os x
10.6.8 — 10.7.5 · 10.8.0 — 10.8.2
redhat
application stack
2.0
redhat
gluster storage server for on-premise
2.0
+7 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

—

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V1.2.3
  • V1.2.5
  • V1.2.8
  • V1.2.9

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly require input validation and neutralization that prevent command injection.

DE.CM-09 partial match
prevents

Runtime monitoring of software and data can detect anomalous command execution resulting from injection.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Identifying recorded vulnerabilities enables remediation of command-injection flaws before exploitation.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

A.8.28 Secure coding mostly match
prevents

Secure coding standards require proper escaping and parameterization of commands, directly eliminating CWE-77.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing in development catches command-injection vulnerabilities before release.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
prevents

Secure development life cycle mandates input validation and command construction practices that directly prevent command injection.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
prevents

Application security requirements explicitly call for controls against injection flaws including command injection.

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
prevents

Secure architecture principles reduce the attack surface but do not prescribe the specific neutralization techniques needed.

A.8.31 Separation of development, test and production environments none match
none

Environment separation limits the blast radius of an exploited command injection but does not prevent the flaw itself.

References