# What is CVE-2012-5378?

> CVE-2012-5378 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.0) in Activetcl from Activestate, published on 11 October 2012. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 0.9%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.

Canonical page: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/what-is/cve-2012-5378

## At a glance

- **Verdict:** Plan it in. No sign of exploitation and a low forecast. Patch it in your normal update cycle.
- **Precursor Intelligence risk score:** 39 out of 100 (Low); action: Monitor. Kept up to date as the evidence changes.
- **Severity:** Medium (CVSS 6.0 out of 10)
- **Known to be exploited:** No, not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today
- **Chance of use in the next 30 days:** 0.9% (latest exploit-likelihood forecast)
- **Published:** 11 October 2012
- **Record last updated:** 11 April 2025
- **Main product:** Activetcl from Activestate
- **Affected products:** 1

## What is CVE-2012-5378? In plain terms

An attacker has to be already on the device with one login. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.

### The official description

Untrusted search path vulnerability in the installation functionality in ActiveTcl 8.5.12, when installed in the top-level C:\ directory, allows local users to gain privileges via a Trojan horse DLL in the C:\TD\bin directory, which is added to the PATH system environment variable, as demonstrated by a Trojan horse wlbsctrl.dll file used by the "IKE and AuthIP IPsec Keying Modules" system service in Windows Vista SP1, Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows 7 SP1, and Windows 8 Release Preview.

### What kind of flaw is it?

- Unknown: Unknown

### How an attack on it works

- Where an attacker can be: Already on the device
- How hard it is to pull off: Hard: conditions must line up
- Login needed first: One login
- What an attacker gets: Can read data, change data and take it offline

Severity vector: `AV:L/AC:H/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C`

## Is CVE-2012-5378 being exploited? Not that we know of

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 0.9%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

Exploit likelihood over the last 7 days: 0.9%, 0.9%, 0.9%, 0.9%, 0.9%, 0.9%, 0.9%.

### Timeline

- 11 October 2012: Published
- 11 April 2025: Record last updated

### How Precursor Intelligence ranks it

CVE-2012-5378 scores **39 out of 100 (Low)**, with the action "Monitor".

Every published flaw gets a risk score from 0 to 100, kept up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, from the one that counts most to the ones that count less:

- Evidence it is being exploited: biggest factor
- How severe it is: strong factor
- How widely exposed it is: smaller factor
- Threat activity around it: smaller factor

85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score. When this flaw matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.

## Who is affected by CVE-2012-5378?

The published record lists 1 product.

- [Activetcl](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/product/activestate/activetcl) by [Activestate](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/vendors/activestate) (Application): 8.5.12

## How do I fix CVE-2012-5378?

1. **Check whether you run it.** Compare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
2. **Apply the vendor’s fix.** Install the latest update from the vendor. The references list where the vendor has published details.
3. **If you can’t patch today.** Follow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
4. **Keep an eye on it.** Track the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.

### References

- [osvdb.org](http://osvdb.org/86179)
- [htbridge.com](https://www.htbridge.com/advisory/HTB23108) (Exploit)

## Questions

### What is CVE-2012-5378?

CVE-2012-5378 is a medium-severity flaw in Activetcl from Activestate, published on 11 October 2012. An attacker has to be already on the device with one login. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.

### How serious is CVE-2012-5378?

It scores 6.0 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is medium. Our risk score for CVE-2012-5378 is 39 out of 100, which is Low. Its action is "Monitor". No sign of exploitation and a low forecast. Patch it in your normal update cycle.

### Is CVE-2012-5378 being exploited?

It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 0.9%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.

### Which versions does CVE-2012-5378 affect?

For Activetcl from Activestate: 8.5.12.

### How do I fix CVE-2012-5378?

Install the update the vendor names in its advisory. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.

## Does CVE-2012-5378 affect you?

Precursor Intelligence keeps checking for you:

- **Tell us what you run.** Pick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
- **We match it to every flaw.** Over 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
- **Ranked by real-world risk.** Every flaw gets a 0 to 100 risk score, kept up to date, led by evidence criminals are using it.
- **Told as soon as we know.** An alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.

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