CVE-2012-4409

CVE-2012-4409 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in mcrypt versions 2.6.8 and earlier, specifically within the check_file_head function. An attacker can exploit this by providing a specially crafted encrypted file with an overly long salt in its header, leading to arbitrary code execution during decryption. This vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.8, indicating a medium severity with network-based attacks requiring medium complexity, potentially resulting in partial confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts. While not listed in CISA's KEV catalog, proof-of-concept exploit code is publicly available on ExploitDB, though there is no evidence of active exploitation or significant community discussion.