3.3
CWE
59
Advisory Published
Updated

CVE-2009-5081

First published: Thu Jun 30 2011(Updated: )

The (1) config.guess, (2) contrib/groffer/perl/groffer.pl, and (3) contrib/groffer/perl/roff2.pl scripts in GNU troff (aka groff) 1.21 and earlier use an insufficient number of X characters in the template argument to the tempfile function, which makes it easier for local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file, a different vulnerability than CVE-2004-0969.

Credit: cve@mitre.org

Affected SoftwareAffected VersionHow to fix
groff (GNU troff)<=1.21
groff (GNU troff)=1.10
groff (GNU troff)=1.11
groff (GNU troff)=1.11a
groff (GNU troff)=1.14
groff (GNU troff)=1.15
groff (GNU troff)=1.16
groff (GNU troff)=1.16.1
groff (GNU troff)=1.17.1
groff (GNU troff)=1.17.2
groff (GNU troff)=1.18.1
groff (GNU troff)=1.19
groff (GNU troff)=1.19.1
groff (GNU troff)=1.19.2
groff (GNU troff)=1.20
groff (GNU troff)=1.20.1

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the severity of CVE-2009-5081?

    CVE-2009-5081 is classified as a moderate severity vulnerability due to its potential for local user exploitation.

  • How do I fix CVE-2009-5081?

    To fix CVE-2009-5081, users should update GNU troff to version 1.21 or later, which includes the necessary security patches.

  • Who is affected by CVE-2009-5081?

    CVE-2009-5081 affects all versions of GNU troff up to and including 1.21.

  • What types of attacks can exploit CVE-2009-5081?

    CVE-2009-5081 can be exploited by local users to potentially overwrite arbitrary files.

  • Is CVE-2009-5081 a remote or local vulnerability?

    CVE-2009-5081 is a local vulnerability, meaning it can only be exploited by authenticated local users.

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