How severe is CVE-2012-4438?

CVE-2012-4438 has a CVSS score of 8.8/10, rated HIGH. Immediate patching is strongly recommended.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2012-4438?

CVE-2012-4438 affects the following packages: org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core (Maven), org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core (Maven). Ecosystems affected: Maven.

How do I fix CVE-2012-4438?

Update org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core to 1.466.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2012-4438 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2012-4438 in my Maven dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2012-4438 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Is CVE-2012-4438 actively exploited in the wild?

No public exploit code has been indexed for CVE-2012-4438 yet. This does not mean the vulnerability cannot be exploited — absence of public exploits does not imply safety. Apply the recommended fix and use O3 Security to monitor your exposure.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2012-4438?

CVE-2012-4438 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 2.4%, placing it in the 84th 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. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2012-4438?

CVE-2012-4438 is classified as Improper Input Validation (CWE-20). This weakness type describe the underlying flaw category, which helps determine the potential impact and the right class of mitigation.

When was CVE-2012-4438 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2012-4438 was published on April 23, 2022 and was last updated on March 12, 2025. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

☕

☕ Maven

Not in CISA KEV

HIGH severity

CVE-2012-4438 — jenkins-core

HIGH

CVE-2012-4438 is a high-severity (CVSS 8.8) Improper Input Validation vulnerability in org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core. A fix is available for org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Jenkins allows Data Insertion and Execution of Code by those with Read and HTTP Access

Published

Apr 23, 2022

Updated

Mar 12, 2025

Affected

2 pkgs

Patched

2 / 2

Exploits

None indexed

Exploitation data as of Nov 2, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

2.4%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs84th percentile — riskier than 84% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

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

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

2 pkgs affected

☕org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core☕org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects Maven packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Jenkins main before 1.482 and LTS before 1.466.2 allows remote attackers with read access and HTTP access to Jenkins master to insert data and execute arbitrary code.

Affected Packages

2 total 2 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
☕Maven	`org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core`	all versions	1.466.2`org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core:1.466.2`
☕Maven	`org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core`	≥ 1.467&&< 1.482	1.482`org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core:1.482`

Affected Products

1 product · 2 configurations

Application

jenkinsjenkins

< 1.482

range

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update org.jenkins-ci.main:jenkins-core to 1.466.2 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2012-4438 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jenkins main before 1.482 and LTS before 1.466.2 allows remote attackers with read access and HTTP access to Jenkins master to insert data and execute arbitrary code.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2012-4438 in your dependencies?

Find it across Maven, including transitive dependencies.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works

CVSS Score

8.8/10CVSS v3 base

Vector breakdown

Attack Vector

Network

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Raw vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE Classification

CWE-20Improper Input Validation

Weaponization

No Nuclei template, Metasploit module or public proof-of-concept found.

OpenSSF Scorecard

Package health score

jenkins

6.4/10

Code-Review6/10

Maintained10/10

Branch-Protection3/10

Assessed Oct 26, 2026

Timeline

Disclosed

Apr 23, 2022

Last updated

Mar 12, 2025

Identifiers

CVE-2012-4438

References

Advisorynvd.nist.gov · CVE 2012 4438 Webbugzilla.redhat.com · show bug.cgi Websecurity-tracker.debian.org · CVE 2012 4438 Webcloudbees.com · jenkins security advisory 2012 09 17 Webopenwall.com Packagegithub.com · jenkins

Related vulnerabilities

This CVE is high severity; 2 of 8 other CVEs affecting jenkins-core are rated as high or higher (top: high).

CVE-2026-53436CVE-2026-53437CVE-2026-53440CVE-2026-53441CVE-2026-53439CVE-2026-53435CVE-2026-53442CVE-2026-53438

Provenance

Sources

OSV.devNVDFIRST.org (EPSS)

Last verifiedMar 12, 2025

CVE-2012-4438 — jenkins-core

EPSS Exploitation Probability

How urgent is this, really

Where this sits among everything scored

Real-World Exposure

Description

Affected Packages

Affected Products

Detection & mitigation playbook

Detect

Fix

Workarounds

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CVE-2012-4438 in your dependencies?