CVE Intel / CVE-2012-1823

CVE-2012-1823

Application Stack · apple, debian, fedoraproject, hp, opensuse, php, redhat, suse

⚠

Actively exploited in the wild. Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue: exploitation confirmed in the wild. Patch on priority.

Patch now

This CVE is being exploited. Apply the vendor fix, or take the service off the internet until you can, then check your logs for attempts.

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CISA KEVexploited on our sensorsCritical CVSS 9.8network detectablepublic exploit: ExploitDB, Metasploit

What it is

sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c in PHP before 5.3.12 and 5.4.x before 5.4.2, when configured as a CGI script (aka php-cgi), does not properly handle query strings that lack an = (equals sign) character, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by placing command-line options in the query string, related to lack of skipping a certain php_getopt for the 'd' case.

Live exploitation on the huntback network (30 days)

1,047

attempts captured

319

distinct source IPs

2026-11-12

last seen

Detection

huntback carries a network signature for this CVE. Exploitation attempts are detected on the decoy fleet in real time.

ExploitDBExploit code published (ExploitDB)

MetasploitExploit code published (Metasploit)

NucleiNuclei detection template available

Evidence

Confirmed exploited. Our decoys saw 182 exploitation attempts in the last 14 days; CISA added it to KEV 1693 days ago.

2026-11-12Observed · huntback decoys
Last attempt. 1,047 attempts on our decoys, 182 in the last 14 days

2026-09-24Observed · huntback decoys
First exploitation attempt on our decoys

2022-03-25Reported · CISA KEV
Added to CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities

2012-05-11Context · CVE record
Published

undatedWeaponised · ExploitDB
Exploit code published (ExploitDB)

undatedWeaponised · Metasploit
Exploit code published (Metasploit)

undatedWeaponised · Nuclei
Nuclei detection template available

Observed: our own decoys saw it. Reported: CISA, the vendor or another named source says so. Weaponised: public exploit code or a scanner template exists. Methodology

Questions

Is CVE-2012-1823 being exploited in the wild?

Yes. The huntback decoy network captured 1,047 exploitation attempts from 319 distinct source IPs; the most recent was on 2026-11-12. It is also in the CISA KEV catalogue.

Can CVE-2012-1823 be detected on the network?

Yes. huntback carries a network signature for CVE-2012-1823, so attempts against a decoy are tagged in real time.

How huntback helps

Deploy a decoy that emulates Application Stack and you will see every attempt at this CVE the moment it lands, with the full payload, the attacker's infrastructure, and any stage-2 loader. Then huntback can scan the attacker back.

CVSS9.8 Critical

EPSS1.00 (99% pct)

In CISA KEVyes

Published2012-05-11

Updated2026-06-16

Network detectableyes, signatured

Public exploitExploitDB, Metasploit

huntback research

CVE-2024-4577 explained: the PHP-CGI RCE attackers keep spraying

NVD record → Browse all CVEs → Live malware and C2 finds → Novel-attack discovery → Deploy a decoy →

API

This record, with its evidence timeline, as JSON:

curl -H "X-API-Key: $HUNTBACK_KEY" https://app.huntback.io/api/v1/evidence/CVE-2012-1823

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