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CVE-2008-5394

Status: ModifiedHigh (7.2)—

/bin/login in shadow 4.0.18.1 in Debian GNU/Linux, and probably other Linux distributions, allows local users in the utmp group to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file referenced in a line (aka ut_line) field in a utmp entry.

CVSS

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

Affected technologies (1)

Debian — Shadow

CWEs

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

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{
  "id": "CVE-2008-5394",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV2": [
      {
        "type": "Primary",
        "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "2.0",
          "baseScore": 7.2,
          "accessVector": "LOCAL",
          "vectorString": "AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C",
          "authentication": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "COMPLETE",
          "accessComplexity": "LOW",
          "availabilityImpact": "COMPLETE",
          "confidentialityImpact": "COMPLETE"
        },
        "acInsufInfo": false,
        "impactScore": 10,
        "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
        "obtainAllPrivilege": true,
        "exploitabilityScore": 3.9,
        "obtainUserPrivilege": false,
        "obtainOtherPrivilege": false,
        "userInteractionRequired": false
      }
    ]
  },
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "cve@mitre.org",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "n/a",
          "product": "n/a",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "n/a"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2008-12-09T00:30:00.517",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "http://bugs.debian.org/332198",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://bugs.debian.org/505071",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://bugs.debian.org/505271",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://osvdb.org/52200",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200903-24.xml",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://securityreason.com/securityalert/4695",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2009:062",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/498769/100/0/threaded",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/32552",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-695-1",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/47037",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/7313",
      "source": "cve@mitre.org"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://bugs.debian.org/332198",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://bugs.debian.org/505071",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://bugs.debian.org/505271",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://osvdb.org/52200",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200903-24.xml",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://securityreason.com/securityalert/4695",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2009:062",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/498769/100/0/threaded",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/32552",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-695-1",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/47037",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/7313",
      "source": "af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Modified",
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "type": "Primary",
      "source": "nvd@nist.gov",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-59"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "/bin/login in shadow 4.0.18.1 in Debian GNU/Linux, and probably other Linux distributions, allows local users in the utmp group to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file referenced in a line (aka ut_line) field in a utmp entry."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "/bin/login en shadow 4.0.18.1 en Debian GNU/Linux, y probablemente otras distribuciones de Linux, permiten a los usuarios locales en el el grupo utmp sobrescribir arbitrariamente archivos a través de un ataque de enlace simbólico en un archivo temporal referenciado en un campo línea (alias ut_line) en una entrada utmp."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-06-16T22:59:53.377",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "nodes": [
        {
          "negate": false,
          "cpeMatch": [
            {
              "criteria": "cpe:2.3:a:debian:shadow:4.0.18.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
              "vulnerable": true,
              "matchCriteriaId": "6BC9AF32-DEC5-4801-B975-23E9B65EBA4F"
            }
          ],
          "operator": "OR"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "vendorComments": [
    {
      "comment": "Not vulnerable. This issue did not affect the versions of the util-linux packages (providing /bin/login), as shipped with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, 3, 4 or 5.",
      "lastModified": "2008-12-18T00:00:00",
      "organization": "Red Hat"
    }
  ],
  "sourceIdentifier": "cve@mitre.org"
}