# CVE-2004-2768: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can gain privileges by exploiting improper metadata reset during package upgrades via hard links to setuid or device files.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 8 Jun 2010
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2004-2768, GHSA-qrp8-65v4-pc63

## What is CVE-2004-2768?

CVE-2004-2768 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 8 Jun 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

dpkg 1.9.21 does not properly reset the metadata of a file during replacement of the file in a package upgrade, which might allow local users to gain privileges by creating a hard link to a vulnerable (1) setuid file, (2) setgid file, or (3) device, a related issue to CVE-2010-2059.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2004-2768?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Debian Dpkg.

## How do I fix CVE-2004-2768?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2004-2768 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2004-2768 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2017-8283](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-8283/): Path traversal in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-6297](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-6297/): dpkg-deb: Fix cleanup for control member with restricted directories (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2026-2219](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-2219/): Denial of service in dpkg (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2014-3127](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-3127/): Path traversal in n/a (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2014-8625](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2014-8625/): Memory corruption in n/a (medium 6.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2004-2768 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2004-2768 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 8 Jun 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2004-2768 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-2768/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-2768/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-2768
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2004-2768
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2004-2768

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-2768/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.