CVE-2012-0292 in pcAnywhere
Summary
by MITRE
The awhost32 service in Symantec pcAnywhere through 12.5.3, Altiris IT Management Suite pcAnywhere Solution 7.0 (aka 12.5.x) and 7.1 (aka 12.6.x), Altiris Client Management Suite pcAnywhere Solution 7.0 (aka 12.5.x) and 7.1 (aka 12.6.x), and Altiris Deployment Solution Remote pcAnywhere Solution 7.1 (aka 12.5.x and 12.6.x) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) via a crafted TCP session on port 5631.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/16/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2012-0292 represents a critical denial of service weakness within Symantec pcAnywhere and related Altiris solutions that has significant implications for enterprise network security operations. This flaw specifically targets the awhost32 service component that operates on TCP port 5631, which serves as the primary communication channel for pcAnywhere remote access functionality. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the service's TCP session handling logic, creating a condition where malformed or specially crafted TCP packets can trigger unexpected service behavior leading to daemon termination. This issue affects multiple versions of Symantec pcAnywhere including 12.5.3 and various Altiris variants across their 12.5.x and 12.6.x release lines, indicating a widespread exposure across the product ecosystem.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of TCP session establishment sequences on port 5631, where attackers can craft specific packet structures that cause the awhost32 service to crash and terminate its operational processes. This type of flaw falls under the Common Weakness Enumeration category of insufficient input validation, specifically CWE-20, which is a fundamental security weakness that allows attackers to manipulate service behavior through malformed inputs. The vulnerability's impact is categorized as a denial of service condition that affects the availability aspect of the CIA triad, effectively preventing legitimate users from accessing the remote desktop functionality that pcAnywhere provides. The service crash occurs during the session initialization phase, meaning that even attempted connections can be disrupted before any authentication or access control mechanisms are properly engaged, making this particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where remote access is critical for system administration.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations relying on Symantec pcAnywhere for remote system management and support operations. When the awhost32 daemon crashes, it not only disrupts current remote sessions but also prevents new connections from being established, effectively cutting off remote access capabilities for administrators and support personnel. The attack vector is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication credentials to exploit, making it a passive threat that can be executed from any network location with access to port 5631. This characteristic aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for network denial of service, where adversaries leverage service vulnerabilities to compromise availability. Organizations with critical infrastructure dependencies on remote access capabilities face potential operational disruptions that could span hours or days while the service is restarted and system recovery is performed, especially in large enterprise environments where pcAnywhere is deployed across numerous endpoints.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2012-0292 should focus on both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements to prevent similar vulnerabilities. Network administrators should implement firewall rules to restrict access to port 5631 from untrusted networks, effectively limiting the attack surface and preventing unauthorized exploitation attempts. Additionally, applying the vendor-provided security patches and updates is crucial for addressing the underlying validation issues within the awhost32 service. Organizations should also consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect unusual patterns of TCP session establishment attempts on port 5631, providing early warning capabilities for potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of secure coding practices and input validation in service-oriented applications, as highlighted by CWE-20's emphasis on proper data validation. Furthermore, organizations should conduct regular security assessments of legacy remote access solutions to identify similar vulnerabilities that may exist in older software versions, particularly those that have not received security updates for extended periods. Given the age of this vulnerability, it serves as a reminder of the critical need for maintaining up-to-date security patches across all enterprise systems, particularly those providing remote access capabilities that form the backbone of system administration operations.