CVE-2012-1516

The VMX process in VMware ESXi 3.5 through 4.1 and ESX 3.5 through 4.1 does not properly handle...

9.9 Critical

The VMX process in VMware ESXi 3.5 through 4.1 and ESX 3.5 through 4.1 does not properly handle RPC commands, which allows guest OS users to cause a denial of service (memory overwrite and process crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code on the host OS via vectors involving data pointers.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: Low
User interaction: None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

Exploit likelihood

3.20%Up 0.9 points since Feb 4, 2022

What each source reports

NVD Score used 9.9

Record: CVE-2012-1516
CVSS 3.1: 9.9 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS 2.0: 9.0 HighAV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C
Weakness: CWE-119
Updated: 2026-11-02

CVE List No score

Record: CVE-2012-1516
Updated: 2026-11-02

EUVDEUVD-2012-1534 No score

Record: EUVD-2012-1534
Updated: 2026-11-03

GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-35cq-g3fr-gm2p 9.9

The VMX process in VMware ESXi 3.5 through 4.1 and ESX 3.5 through 4.1 does not properly handle...

Record: GHSA-35cq-g3fr-gm2p
CVSS 3.1: 9.9 CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Weakness: CWE-119
Updated: 2026-11-02

Affected products

History

History
Recorded	Changed	Sources
Nov 3, 2026	aliases	EUVD
Nov 2, 2026	first indexed	CVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2012-1516 is a critical vulnerability (CVSS 9.9) in Vmware Esx, published May 4, 2012. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 3.20%, the 88th percentile. No source names a fixed version.