How severe is CVE-2012-2122?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2012-2122 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2012-2122?

Affected package information for CVE-2012-2122 is not yet fully mapped. Check the official advisory links for details.

How do I fix CVE-2012-2122?

No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2012-2122 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.

How do I detect CVE-2012-2122 in my code and dependencies?

Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).

How do I mitigate CVE-2012-2122 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

Is CVE-2012-2122 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 5 known exploit references for CVE-2012-2122, including 1 documented proof-of-concept exploit on Exploit-DB and 4 in-the-wild exploitations observed on GitHub and other sources. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2012-2122?

CVE-2012-2122 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 96.5%, placing it in the 100th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A score above 50% indicates significantly elevated exploitation risk — immediate patching is strongly recommended.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2012-2122?

CVE-2012-2122 is classified as Improper Authentication (CWE-287). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2012-2122 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2012-2122 was published on June 26, 2012 and was last updated on August 6, 2024. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2012-2122

CVE-2012-2122 is a Improper Authentication vulnerability. 5 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. No vendor fix is recorded yet; mitigation options are listed below.

sql/password.c in Oracle MySQL 5.1.x before 5.1.63, 5.5.x before 5.5.24, and 5.6.x before 5.6.6, and MariaDB 5.1.x before 5.1.62, 5.2.x before 5.2.12, 5.3.x before 5.3.6, and 5.5.x…

Published

Jun 26, 2012

Updated

Aug 6, 2024

Affected

2 products

Patched

See advisory

Exploits

5 known

Exploitation data as of Oct 23, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

96.5%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Very High Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs100th percentile — riskier than 100% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, from FIRST.org EPSS.

Description

sql/password.c in Oracle MySQL 5.1.x before 5.1.63, 5.5.x before 5.5.24, and 5.6.x before 5.6.6, and MariaDB 5.1.x before 5.1.62, 5.2.x before 5.2.12, 5.3.x before 5.3.6, and 5.5.x before 5.5.23, when running in certain environments with certain implementations of the memcmp function, allows remote attackers to bypass authentication by repeatedly authenticating with the same incorrect password, which eventually causes a token comparison to succeed due to an improperly-checked return value.

Affected Products

2 products · 61 configurations

Application

mariadbmariadb

33 versions

5.1.415.1.425.1.445.1.475.1.495.1.505.1.515.1.535.1.555.1.605.1.615.2.0

Application

mysqloracle

27 versions

5.1.515.1.525.1.535.1.545.1.555.1.565.1.575.1.585.1.595.1.605.1.615.5.10

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

EDB-19092remotemultiple✓ Verified

MySQL - Authentication Bypass

by David Kennedy (ReL1K) · Jun 12, 2012

Exploit-DB Source

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vulnerability

Detect
Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).
Remediation status
No fixed release is recorded for CVE-2012-2122 yet. Track the upstream advisory, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.
Mitigate without a patch
Put an independent control in front of the weakness: restrict the affected endpoint or interface to trusted networks, require an additional authentication factor or proxy-level check, and invalidate existing sessions and credentials in case the flaw has already been used.

Fixing This On Your OS

If you run this on a Linux distribution, patch through your package manager against the distro's own security advisory below — it tracks the exact backported fix for your release, which can ship on a different timeline (and sometimes a different severity) than the upstream project.

Red HatImportant

This issue does not affect MySQL as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, 5, or 6. For a technical explanation please see https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=814605#c19

Product	Fixed in	Advisory
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6	`mysql-0:5.1.66-1.el6_3`	RHSA-2012:1462

Frequently Asked Questions

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