CVE-2012-1444: Antivirus ELF parser malware detection bypass via modified abiversion field

Automated analysis

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

medium priorityCVSS 2.0 rates this 4.3 (MEDIUM) with only integrity impact, but the very high EPSS percentile and the security-control bypass nature raise concern for environments still running these legacy scanners.

What it is

The ELF file parser in eSafe 7.0.17.0, Prevx 3.0, Fortinet Antivirus 4.2.254.0, and Panda Antivirus 10.0.2.7 fails to properly handle a modified abiversion field, allowing malware to evade detection. This matters because a scanner that can be trivially bypassed provides false assurance and lets malicious ELF files reach the host undetected.

Impact

An attacker can deliver a malicious ELF file that the affected antivirus products will not flag, defeating the primary detection control on the endpoint or gateway. The attacker gains a reliable way to smuggle malware past these scanners.

Attack surface

The flaw is reached remotely by supplying a crafted ELF file to the affected scanning engine, as reflected in the AV:N vector. No authentication is required (Au:N), though the CVSS temporal metric AC:M indicates some conditions must be met for a successful bypass.

Exploitation

CISA KEV does not list this CVE, but EPSS is very high at 0.63221 (99.169th percentile), suggesting elevated exploitation likelihood. The references carry no exploit tags, so no public exploit code is confirmed by this record.

What to do

• Apply vendor updates for eSafe, Prevx, Fortinet Antivirus, and Panda Antivirus; if no fix exists, treat these versions as unreliable for ELF scanning.
• Layer a second, independently maintained detection engine or sandbox for ELF files rather than relying on a single scanner.
• Block or quarantine untrusted ELF files at email and web gateways until scanners are confirmed patched.
• Restrict execution of ELF binaries on endpoints and servers to approved, signed sources.
• Monitor vendor advisories because NVD notes this record may be split into separate CVEs per parser implementation.

Detection

• Hunt for ELF files with unusual or non-standard abiversion values in file transfer and email logs.
• Correlate endpoint execution of ELF binaries that were not flagged by the installed antivirus engine.
• Review scanner logs for ELF files that pass inspection but later exhibit malicious behavior in sandbox or EDR telemetry.
• Track which of the four affected products are deployed and verify their signature/engine versions against vendor fixes.

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