CVE-2012-1461
CVE-2012-1461 is a CWE-264 vulnerability in anti-virus vba32. O3 Security detects and blocks CVE-2012-1461 exploitation at runtime via eBPF exploit-chain detection and L7 egress monitoring, even on unpatched systems.
The Gzip file parser in AVG Anti-Virus 10.0.0.1190, Bitdefender 7.2, Command Antivirus 5.2.11.5, Emsisoft Anti-Malware 5.1.0.1, F-Secure Anti-Virus 9.0.16160.0, Fortinet Antivirus 4.2.254.0,…
Description
The Gzip file parser in AVG Anti-Virus 10.0.0.1190, Bitdefender 7.2, Command Antivirus 5.2.11.5, Emsisoft Anti-Malware 5.1.0.1, F-Secure Anti-Virus 9.0.16160.0, Fortinet Antivirus 4.2.254.0, Ikarus Virus Utilities T3 Command Line Scanner 1.1.97.0, Jiangmin Antivirus 13.0.900, K7 AntiVirus 9.77.3565, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0.0.125, McAfee Anti-Virus Scanning Engine 5.400.0.1158, McAfee Gateway (formerly Webwasher) 2010.1C, NOD32 Antivirus 5795, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, Rising Antivirus 22.83.00.03, Sophos Anti-Virus 4.61.0, AVEngine 20101.3.0.103 in Symantec Endpoint Protection 11, Trend Micro AntiVirus 9.120.0.1004, Trend Micro HouseCall 9.120.0.1004, and VBA32 3.12.14.2 allows remote attackers to bypass malware detection via a .tar.gz file with multiple compressed streams. NOTE: this may later be SPLIT into multiple CVEs if additional information is published showing that the error occurred independently in different Gzip parser implementations.
Affected Products
vba32anti-viruscommand antivirusauthentiumavg anti-virusavgbitdefenderbitdefenderanti-malwareemsisoftnod32 antivirusesetDetection & mitigation playbook
Vendor / applianceDetect
Inventory every anti-virus vba32 deployment and check each version against the affected-products list above. Because the exploit targets the running system rather than your application code, also watch for exploitation at the network and runtime layer — O3 flags the exploit behaviour from runtime telemetry and egress traffic even before a vulnerable build is confirmed.
Remediation status
No patch has shipped for CVE-2012-1461 yet — track the anti-virus vba32 advisory for a fixed release and apply the workarounds below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Cut exposure now: restrict the management/admin interface to trusted networks, segment the device, and apply the vendor's recommended configuration mitigations and any WAF/IPS signature. O3's runtime protection blocks the exploit chain at execution, holding the line on unpatched or end-of-life systems until you can patch.
How O3 protects you
O3 detects and blocks CVE-2012-1461 exploitation at runtime: eBPF exploit-chain detection, plus L7 egress monitoring that catches the post-exploitation callback and severs the attacker's outbound channel.
Tailored to CVE-2012-1461. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CVE-2012-1461 being exploited in your environment?
O3's eBPF runtime sensors and L7 egress monitoring detect and block the CVE-2012-1461 exploit chain at execution — protecting unpatched and end-of-life systems until the vendor patch is applied.