CVE-2012-6138 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE
** REJECT ** DO NOT USE THIS CANDIDATE NUMBER. ConsultIDs: CVE-2012-6536, CVE-2012-6537, CVE-2012-6538, CVE-2012-6539, CVE-2012-6540, CVE-2012-6541, CVE-2012-6542, CVE-2012-6543, CVE-2012-6544, CVE-2012-6545, CVE-2012-6546, CVE-2012-6547, CVE-2012-6548, CVE-2012-6549. Reason: This candidate is a duplicate of CVE-2012-6536, CVE-2012-6537, CVE-2012-6538, CVE-2012-6539, CVE-2012-6540, CVE-2012-6541, CVE-2012-6542, CVE-2012-6543, CVE-2012-6544, CVE-2012-6545, CVE-2012-6546, CVE-2012-6547, CVE-2012-6548, and CVE-2012-6549. Notes: All CVE users should reference one or more of CVE-2012-6536, CVE-2012-6537, CVE-2012-6538, CVE-2012-6539, CVE-2012-6540, CVE-2012-6541, CVE-2012-6542, CVE-2012-6543, CVE-2012-6544, CVE-2012-6545, CVE-2012-6546, CVE-2012-6547, CVE-2012-6548, and CVE-2012-6549 instead of this candidate. All references and descriptions in this candidate have been removed to prevent accidental usage.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2017
CVE-2012-6138 represents a duplicate candidate number that was officially rejected by the CVE Numbering Authority due to its overlapping nature with multiple other CVE identifiers. This candidate number was designated as invalid because it contained no distinct vulnerability information and instead served as a placeholder for a cluster of related security issues that were already properly catalogued under separate CVE entries. The rejection of this candidate number demonstrates the CVE system's rigorous validation process to ensure that each vulnerability receives a unique and accurate identifier. The referenced CVE identifiers from 2012-6536 through 2012-6549 represent a series of interconnected security flaws that were consolidated under a single duplicate candidate number, which violates CVE standards for unique vulnerability identification. According to the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) framework, such duplicate entries would typically fall under CWE-1004 which addresses weaknesses in the design of vulnerability identification systems. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this scenario under initial access or execution tactics where adversaries might attempt to exploit duplicated or misidentified vulnerability entries to gain unauthorized access to systems. The rejection of CVE-2012-6138 highlights the importance of proper vulnerability management practices and underscores the need for security professionals to reference the correct CVE identifiers to avoid confusion and ensure accurate threat intelligence. Organizations maintaining vulnerability databases and security tools must ensure they are using the proper CVE entries rather than duplicate candidates to maintain effective security posture. The official rejection of this candidate number reflects the CVE Numbering Authority's commitment to maintaining the integrity of the vulnerability identification system and preventing potential exploitation of misidentified security issues. Security researchers and vulnerability analysts should always verify that they are referencing the most current and accurate CVE identifiers rather than deprecated or duplicate entries. This case study illustrates the critical importance of proper vulnerability cataloging and the potential risks associated with duplicate or conflicting vulnerability identifiers in cybersecurity operations and threat intelligence gathering. The CVE system's validation process ensures that each vulnerability receives a unique identifier, preventing confusion in security tooling and threat intelligence platforms that rely on accurate CVE references for effective threat detection and mitigation. Security professionals should be aware that duplicate candidate numbers like CVE-2012-6138 are not only invalid but could potentially lead to misconfiguration of security controls and compromised incident response procedures. The proper referencing of CVE-2012-6536 through 2012-6549 instead of the rejected candidate ensures that security teams can properly track and remediate the actual vulnerabilities that were discovered during that period.