CVE-2012-6689

HIGHNVD 7.87.8—

7.8

The netlink_sendmsg function in net/netlink/af_netlink.c in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 does not validate the dst_pid field, which allows local users to have an unspecified impact by spoofing Netlink messages.

CVSS v3: 7.8
EG Score: 7.8(medium)
EPSS: 10.3%
KEV: Not listed

Published

May 2, 2016

Last Modified

May 6, 2026

References (16)

cve@mitrehttp://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=20e1db19db5d6b9e4e83021595eab0dc8f107bef
cve@mitrehttp://marc.info/?l=linux-netdev&m=134522422125983&w=2
cve@mitrehttp://marc.info/?l=linux-netdev&m=134522422925986&w=2
cve@mitrehttp://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.5.5
cve@mitrehttp://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/02/22/10
cve@mitrehttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/72739
cve@mitrehttps://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=848949
cve@mitrehttps://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/20e1db19db5d6b9e4e83021595eab0dc8f107bef
af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=20e1db19db5d6b9e4e83021595eab0dc8f107bef
af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://marc.info/?l=linux-netdev&m=134522422125983&w=2
af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://marc.info/?l=linux-netdev&m=134522422925986&w=2
af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v3.x/ChangeLog-3.5.5
af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2015/02/22/10
af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/72739
af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=848949

Patch Availability(3)

Vendor / Ecosystem	Fixed in / Patch	Released	Source
ubuntu	linux-image-3.2.0-1420-omap4 (3.2.0-1420.27) @ precise	2026-05-22	ubuntu
ubuntu	linux-image-3.2.0-32-generic (3.2.0-32.51) @ precise	2026-05-22	ubuntu
redhat	kernel-0:2.6.32-504.el6	2014-10-13	redhat

Patches are aggregated from vendor advisories (Red Hat, Microsoft, Cisco, GitHub) and package ecosystems (OSV, GHSA). Multiple rows for the same upstream release have been deduplicated.

All Vendor Advisories

(3)

Every vendor that published an advisory referencing this CVE — pulled from our cve_vendor_advisories aggregation. Click any row for the vendor's original advisory page.

Data Freshness Timeline

(refreshed 9× in last 7d / 20× in last 30d)

Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.

2026-06-08 14:14 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-07 15:22 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-06 20:29 UTCOSV refresh
2026-06-06 13:45 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-06 13:45 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-05 22:44 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-05 22:44 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-05 06:08 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-05 06:08 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-02 20:10 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-02 20:10 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-01 13:49 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-06-01 13:49 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-05-31 22:28 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-05-31 22:28 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-05-31 00:14 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-05-31 00:14 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-05-29 13:41 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-05-29 13:41 UTCEPSS rescore
2026-05-28 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore

Frequently asked(5)

What is CVE-2012-6689?

CVE-2012-6689 is a high vulnerability published on May 2, 2016. The netlinksendmsg function in net/netlink/afnetlink.c in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 does not validate the dst_pid field, which allows local users to have an unspecified impact by spoofing Netlink messages.

When was CVE-2012-6689 disclosed?

CVE-2012-6689 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on May 2, 2016, with the most recent update on May 6, 2026. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.

Is CVE-2012-6689 actively exploited?

CVE-2012-6689 is not currently on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. FIRST EPSS estimates a 10.3% percentile likelihood of exploitation in the next 30 days — higher percentiles indicate greater predicted risk.

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2012-6689?

CVE-2012-6689 has a CVSS v3 base score of 7.8 (NVD).

How do I remediate CVE-2012-6689?

Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2012-6689, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.

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