CVE-2012-1426
MediumThe TAR file parser in Quick Heal (aka Cat QuickHeal) 11.00, Command Antivirus 5.2.11.5, F-Prot Antivirus 4.6.2.117, K7 AntiVirus 9.77.3565, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, and Rising Antivirus 22.83.00.03 allows remote attackers to bypass malware detection via a POSIX TAR file with…
Published Mar 21, 2012 · Updated Apr 28, 2026
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2012-1426 is a medium-severity vulnerability (CVSS 4.3 v2) affecting Command Antivirus (Authentium), Quick Heal (Cat), F-Prot Antivirus and 3 more products.
- It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog. No public exploit code is known.
- EPSS estimates a 90% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
- No fixed version is listed yet; check the vendor advisory for mitigations.
- Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is very likely to be exploited soon.
CVSS v2
4.3
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)
90%
Higher than 99.7% of all scored CVEs
Exploited in the wild
No known
Not in a known-exploited catalog
Public exploit code
None known
Get the full CVE-2012-1426 brief as a PDF
Every affected product and fixed release, exploitation status and a first 24 hours response checklist, emailed within minutes.
Description
The TAR file parser in Quick Heal (aka Cat QuickHeal) 11.00, Command Antivirus 5.2.11.5, F-Prot Antivirus 4.6.2.117, K7 AntiVirus 9.77.3565, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, and Rising Antivirus 22.83.00.03 allows remote attackers to bypass malware detection via a POSIX TAR file with an initial \42\5A\68 character sequence. NOTE: this may later be SPLIT into multiple CVEs if additional information is published showing that the error occurred independently in different TAR parser implementations.
Affected Products
6 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Command AntivirusAuthentium | 5.2.11.5 | n/a |
| Quick HealCat | 11.00 | n/a |
| F-Prot AntivirusF-Prot | 4.6.2.117 | n/a |
| AntivirusK7computing | 9.77.3565 | n/a |
| Norman Antivirus \& AntispywareNorman | 6.06.12 | n/a |
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
Mar 21, 2012
Last updated
Apr 28, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-264
References
- other80406
- other80407
- other80409
- othermultiple-av-tar-evasion-cve20121426(74241)
- otherhttp://www.ieee-security.org/TC/SP2012/program.html
FAQ
Common Questions.
The TAR file parser in Quick Heal (aka Cat QuickHeal) 11.00, Command Antivirus 5.2.11.5, F-Prot Antivirus 4.6.2.117, K7 AntiVirus 9.77.3565, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, and Rising Antivirus 22.83.00.03 allows remote attackers to bypass malware detection via a POSIX TAR file with an initial \42\5A\68 character sequence.
Affected: Command Antivirus (Authentium) versions 5.2.11.5; Quick Heal (Cat) versions 11.00; F-Prot Antivirus versions 4.6.2.117, among others. The full list is in the CVE brief.
It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog.
No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
No public exploit code is known.
No fixed version is listed yet; check the vendor advisory for mitigations.
Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is very likely to be exploited soon.
Is CVE-2012-1426 Running On Your Attack Surface?
Brandefense maps vulnerabilities like this one to your internet-facing assets and tells you exactly where to patch.
Request A Demo