CVE-2012-1446: Antivirus ELF parsers bypassed via modified encoding field

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 17 September 2026. Confidence: medium.

medium priorityThe flaw only bypasses detection rather than granting code execution, but it affects many widely deployed scanners and carries a very high EPSS score.

What it is

Multiple antivirus products parse ELF files incorrectly and can be tricked into missing malware when an ELF file carries a modified encoding field. The flaw affects the ELF file parser in Quick Heal 11.00, McAfee Anti-Virus Scanning Engine 5.400.0.1158, Symantec Endpoint Protection 11 AVEngine 20101.3.0.103, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, eSafe 7.0.17.0, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 7.0.0.125, McAfee Gateway 2010.1C, Sophos Anti-Virus 4.61.0, CA eTrust Vet Antivirus 36.1.8511, Antiy Labs AVL SDK 2.0.3.7, PC Tools AntiVirus 7.0.3.5, Rising Antivirus 22.83.00.03, Fortinet Antivirus 4.2.254.0, and Panda Antivirus 10.0.2.7. Because the affected component is the scanner itself, a successful bypass undermines the detection layer defenders rely on.

Impact

An attacker can deliver a malicious ELF file that the affected scanner fails to flag, allowing malware to reach the endpoint undetected. The attacker gains no code execution from the flaw itself, but defeats the antivirus control that would otherwise block the payload.

Attack surface

Reached remotely by supplying a crafted ELF file to the affected scanning engine, for example through file transfer, email attachment, or web download that the product inspects. No authentication is required, but the CVSS vector indicates medium attack complexity and no user interaction is specified.

Exploitation

Not listed in CISA KEV and no reference carries an exploit tag, but EPSS is 0.99723 (99.952 percentile), indicating very high predicted exploitation activity. The record does not confirm public exploit code or in-the-wild use.

What to do

• Apply vendor updates for each affected antivirus or scanning engine; the record does not list fixed versions, so confirm with the vendor.
• Do not rely on a single affected scanner for ELF inspection; add a second, independently updated detection layer.
• Block or quarantine untrusted ELF files at email and web gateways until scanners are confirmed patched.
• Track the NVD note that this CVE may be split into per-implementation CVEs and re-check affected product status.
• Inventory which of the listed products and versions are deployed to scope exposure.

Detection

• Monitor scanner logs for ELF files that pass inspection but later execute or trigger endpoint alerts.
• Hunt for ELF files with unusual or malformed encoding fields in file submission and gateway logs.
• Correlate endpoint execution of ELF binaries with antivirus verdicts to find files that evaded detection.
• Review gateway and mail logs for ELF attachments that were delivered without a malware verdict.

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