CVE-2012-5623Network attack vector

Password recovery via MD5-hashed system passwords

Published Feb 13, 2020 · Updated Aug 6, 2024

Use of MD5 in the Change Password plugin 4.0 for SquirrelMail allows attackers to recover system passwords from exposed hashes. The plugin hashes new system-user passwords with MD5 before updating /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow instead of using a password hash resistant to offline guessing. Password changes require an authenticated webmail user, while recovery requires separate access to the resulting password hash.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.67%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use of MD5 in the Change Password plugin 4.0 for SquirrelMail allows attackers to recover system passwords from exposed hashes. The plugin hashes new system-user passwords with MD5 before updating /etc/passwd or /etc/shadow instead of using a password hash resistant to offline guessing. Password changes require an authenticated webmail user, while recovery requires separate access to the resulting password hash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2012-5623
Published
Feb 13, 2020
Updated
Aug 6, 2024
Vendor
SquirrelMail Project
Product
SquirrelMail
Classifications
CWE-327, T1110.002
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 13, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 6, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

SquirrelMail Project · SquirrelMailversion=4.0

Published CVSS scores

5.0NVDAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
7.5NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-327Use of a Broken or Risky Cryptographic Algorithm
T1110.002Password Cracking

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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