Which products and versions are affected by CVE-2012-1851?

Affected: Windows 7 (Microsoft); Windows Server 2003 (Microsoft); Windows Server 2008 (Microsoft), among others. The full list is in the CVE brief.

Is CVE-2012-1851 being exploited in the wild?

It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog.

Is CVE-2012-1851 in the CISA KEV catalog?

No, it is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

Is there a public exploit for CVE-2012-1851?

No public exploit code is known.

Is there a fix for CVE-2012-1851?

No fixed version is listed yet; check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

How urgently should CVE-2012-1851 be patched?

Brandefense priority: patch immediately, because it is very likely to be exploited soon.

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Vulnerability Intelligence

CVE-2012-1851

Critical

Format string vulnerability in the Print Spooler service in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 Gold and SP1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted response,…

Published Aug 14, 2012 · Updated Apr 28, 2026

Key Facts

Patch immediately

CVE-2012-1851 is a critical-severity vulnerability (CVSS 10.0 v2) affecting Windows 7 (Microsoft), Windows Server 2003 (Microsoft), Windows Server 2008 (Microsoft) and 2 more products.
It is not listed in any known-exploited vulnerabilities catalog. No public exploit code is known.
EPSS estimates a 66% 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

10.0

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

EPSS (30-day exploit likelihood)

66%

Higher than 99.2% 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-2012-1851 brief as a PDF

Every affected product and fixed release, exploitation status and a first 24 hours response checklist, emailed within minutes.

Description

Affected Products

13 affected entries in total

Product	Affected versions	Fixed in
Windows 7Microsoft	See advisory	n/a
Windows Server 2003Microsoft	See advisory	n/a
Windows Server 2008Microsoft	See advisory	n/a
Windows VistaMicrosoft	See advisory	n/a
Windows XpMicrosoft	See advisory	n/a

Timeline

Publicly disclosed
Aug 14, 2012
Last updated
Apr 28, 2026

Weakness Type

CWE-134 Use of Externally-Controlled Format String

References

FAQ

Common Questions.

Format string vulnerability in the Print Spooler service in Microsoft Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 SP2, R2, and R2 SP1, and Windows 7 Gold and SP1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted response, aka "Print Spooler Service Format Strin…
Affected: Windows 7 (Microsoft); Windows Server 2003 (Microsoft); Windows Server 2008 (Microsoft), 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.

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