HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2012-3503
CRITICAL

CVE-2012-3503

CWE-798Published: August 25, 2012· Updated: Jun 16, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The installation script in Katello 1.0 and earlier does not properly generate the Application.config.secret_token value, which causes each default installation to have the same secret token, and allows remote attackers to authenticate to the CloudForms System Engine web interface as an arbitrary user by creating a cookie using the default secret_token.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2012-3503 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

Red Hat1 product(s)
enterprise linux server
theforeman1 product(s)
katello
Source: NVD CPE · 2 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttps://github.com/Katello/katello/commit/7c256fef9d75029d0ffff58ff1dcda915056d3a3
PATCHhttps://github.com/Katello/katello/commit/7c256fef9d75029d0ffff58ff1dcda915056d3a3
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1186.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1187.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/55140
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1186.html
ADVISORYhttp://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1187.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/55140

All References (12)

→
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1186.htmlBroken Link · Third Party Advisory
→
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1187.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/50344Broken Link
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/55140Broken Link · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://github.com/Katello/katello/commit/7c256fef9d75029d0ffff58ff1dcda915056d3a3Patch
→
https://github.com/Katello/katello/pull/499Issue Tracking
→
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1186.htmlBroken Link · Third Party Advisory
→
http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2012-1187.htmlThird Party Advisory
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/50344Broken Link
→
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/55140Broken Link · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
https://github.com/Katello/katello/commit/7c256fef9d75029d0ffff58ff1dcda915056d3a3Patch
→
https://github.com/Katello/katello/pull/499Issue Tracking

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2012-3503
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-798
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedAug 25, 2012

Related CVEs (CWE-798)

CVE-2024-42450
10.0
CVE-2025-7503
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CVE-2021-40519
10.0
CVE-2023-1748
10.0
CVE-2025-20309
10.0
CVE-2007-1063
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2012-3503 in threat intel feeds
  • →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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