CVE-2012-1428
MediumThe TAR file parser in Quick Heal (aka Cat QuickHeal) 11.00, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, and Sophos Anti-Virus 4.61.0 allows remote attackers to bypass malware detection via a POSIX TAR file with a \4a\46\49\46 character sequence at a certain location.
Published Mar 21, 2012 · Updated Apr 28, 2026
Key Facts
Patch immediately- CVE-2012-1428 is a medium-severity vulnerability (CVSS 4.3 v2) affecting Quick Heal (Cat), Norman Antivirus \& Antispyware, Sophos Anti-Virus.
- It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog. No public exploit code is known.
- EPSS estimates a 88% 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)
88%
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
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Description
The TAR file parser in Quick Heal (aka Cat QuickHeal) 11.00, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, and Sophos Anti-Virus 4.61.0 allows remote attackers to bypass malware detection via a POSIX TAR file with a \4a\46\49\46 character sequence at a certain location. 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
3 affected entries in total| Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Quick HealCat | 11.00 | n/a |
| Norman Antivirus \& AntispywareNorman | 6.06.12 | n/a |
| Sophos Anti-VirusSophos | 4.61.0 | n/a |
Timeline
Publicly disclosed
Mar 21, 2012
Last updated
Apr 28, 2026
Weakness Type
- CWE-264
References
- other80390
- other80409
- othermultiple-av-tar-evasion-cve20121428(74243)
- otherhttp://www.ieee-security.org/TC/SP2012/program.html
- other20120319 Evasion attacks expoliting file-parsing vulnerabilities in antivirus products
FAQ
Common Questions.
The TAR file parser in Quick Heal (aka Cat QuickHeal) 11.00, Norman Antivirus 6.06.12, and Sophos Anti-Virus 4.61.0 allows remote attackers to bypass malware detection via a POSIX TAR file with a \4a\46\49\46 character sequence at a certain location.
Affected: Quick Heal (Cat) versions 11.00; Norman Antivirus \& Antispyware versions 6.06.12; Sophos Anti-Virus versions 4.61.0. 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.
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