CVE-2012-0124: HP Data Protector Express remote code execution and DoS

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 19 September 2026. Confidence: medium.

critical priorityCVSS 2.0 score of 10 with network reachability, no authentication and full confidentiality, integrity and availability impact, plus a high EPSS percentile, makes this a top remediation priority despite thin technical detail.

What it is

HP Data Protector Express (DPX) 5.0.00 before build 59287 and 6.0.00 before build 11974 contain an unspecified vulnerability that lets remote attackers execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service. The record gives no detail on the underlying flaw, so the exact mechanism is unknown, but the impact is severe because it affects a backup product that typically holds privileged access to systems and data.

Impact

An unauthenticated remote attacker can run arbitrary code on the affected host or crash it, potentially gaining control of a backup server and the data it manages.

Attack surface

The CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C indicates the flaw is reachable over the network with no authentication and no user interaction. The description does not identify which service or port is involved.

Exploitation

The vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV and no ransomware use is documented, but EPSS is high at roughly 0.62 (99th percentile), suggesting meaningful exploitation likelihood; the references carry no exploit tags.

What to do

• Upgrade to HP Data Protector Express 5.0.00 build 59287 or later, or 6.0.00 build 11974 or later.
• If patching is delayed, restrict network access to DPX services to trusted management hosts only.
• Segment backup servers from general user networks and the internet.
• Monitor vendor advisories for updated guidance since the flaw details are unspecified.

Detection

• Review DPX service logs for unexpected crashes or restarts that could indicate denial-of-service attempts.
• Alert on unusual outbound connections or child processes spawned by DPX service processes.
• Baseline normal DPX network peers and flag connections from untrusted hosts to DPX ports.

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.