CVE-2012-1515: n/a vulnerability

CVE-2012-1515: VMware ESXi 3.5, 4.0, and 4.1 and ESX 3.5, 4.0, and 4.1 do not properly implement port-based I/O operations...

VMware ESXi 3.5, 4.0, and 4.1 and ESX 3.5, 4.0, and 4.1 do not properly implement port-based I/O operations, which allows guest OS users to gain guest OS privileges by overwriting memory locations in a read-only memory block associated with the Virtual DOS Machine.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdatedAug 6, 2024, 19:01 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Security readout for executives and security teams

This is an old VMware ESX/ESXi flaw affecting versions 3.5, 4.0, and 4.1. A user already inside a guest operating system could gain higher guest privileges through faulty port-based I/O handling. The bundle does not show host escape, active exploitation, or CVSS details. Exposure is most likely in legacy VMware ESX/ESXi 3.5, 4.0, or 4.1 environments that still run untrusted or multi-user guest workloads. Treat this as a legacy-platform risk. It is not shown as actively exploited, but affected VMware versions are very old and should be removed, isolated, or verified against vendor guidance. Mitigation focus: Identify any VMware ESX/ESXi 3.5, 4.0, or 4.1 systems.; Review VMware VMSA-2012-0006 for official update or workaround guidance.; Prioritize retirement or isolation of affected legacy hypervisors..

Prepared: Jun 24, 2026, 12:52 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record

Severity: Unknown
CVSS: Not scored
Known Exploited: No
Published: Apr 2, 2012, 10:00 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors

0Timeline events

0ADP providers

5Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
MS12-042CVE reference · vendor-advisory, x_refsource_MS
oval:org.mitre.oval:def:17110CVE reference · vdb-entry, signature
oval:org.mitre.oval:def:15209CVE reference · vdb-entry, signature
vmware-esxserver-io-privilege-escalation(74480)CVE reference · vdb-entry, x_refsource_XF

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus

n/an/an/aListed

Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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