HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2018-12596
CRITICALPOC

CVE-2018-12596

CWE-269Published: October 10, 2018· Updated: Jun 17, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Episerver Ektron CMS before 9.0 SP3 Site CU 31, 9.1 before SP3 Site CU 45, or 9.2 before SP2 Site CU 22 allows remote attackers to call aspx pages via the "activateuser.aspx" page, even if a page is located under the /WorkArea/ path, which is forbidden (normally available exclusively for local admins).

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2018-12596 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.

A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2018-12596. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges Req.None
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
Impact
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

episerver1 product(s)
ektron cms
Source: NVD CPE · 3 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

POC AVAILABLEProof-of-concept code exists
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

PATCHhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Oct/15
PATCHhttps://github.com/alt3kx/CVE-2018-12596
PATCHhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45577/
PATCHhttp://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Oct/15
PATCHhttps://github.com/alt3kx/CVE-2018-12596
PATCHhttps://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45577/

All References (8)

→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Oct/15Exploit · Mailing List · Mitigation · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/alt3kx/CVE-2018-12596Exploit · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://medium.com/%40alt3kx/ektron-content-management-system-cms-9-20-sp2-remote-re-enabling-users-cve-2018-12596-bdf1e3a05158
→
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45577/Exploit · Mitigation · Patch · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry
→
http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2018/Oct/15Exploit · Mailing List · Mitigation · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://github.com/alt3kx/CVE-2018-12596Exploit · Patch · Third Party Advisory
→
https://medium.com/%40alt3kx/ektron-content-management-system-cms-9-20-sp2-remote-re-enabling-users-cve-2018-12596-bdf1e3a05158
→
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45577/Exploit · Mitigation · Patch · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2018-12596
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-269
CISA KEVNo
ExploitPOC
Affected1 vendor(s)
PublishedOct 10, 2018

Related CVEs (CWE-269)

CVE-2024-6240
10.0
CVE-2025-0505
10.0
CVE-2022-24783
10.0
CVE-2020-27655
10.0
CVE-2021-1388
10.0
CVE-2018-4310
10.0

Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2018-12596 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. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.
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