# CVE-2008-2812: Null dereference in n/a

> Local users can crash the system or potentially gain privileges via NULL pointer dereferences in Linux kernel tty drivers.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 9 Jul 2008
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-g469-pq25-x2qr

## What is CVE-2008-2812?

CVE-2008-2812 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 9 Jul 2008. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Linux kernel before 2.6.25.10 does not properly perform tty operations, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (system crash) or possibly gain privileges via vectors involving NULL pointer dereference of function pointers in (1) hamradio/6pack.c, (2) hamradio/mkiss.c, (3) irda/irtty-sir.c, (4) ppp_async.c, (5) ppp_synctty.c, (6) slip.c, (7) wan/x25_asy.c, and (8) wireless/strip.c in drivers/net/.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-2812?

It affects 15 products.


Products: Avaya Communication Manager, Avaya Expanded Meet-Me Conferencing, Avaya Intuity Audix Lx, Avaya Meeting Exchange, Avaya Message Networking, Avaya Messaging Storage Server, Avaya Proactive Contact, Avaya Sip Enablement Services, Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel, Novell Linux Desktop, Opensuse Opensuse, Suse Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop, Suse Suse Linux Enterprise Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2008-2812?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2008-2812 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-2812 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2008-6708](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-6708/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2008-6709](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-6709/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2008-6710](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-6710/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2008-6711](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-6711/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.0)
- [CVE-2008-5709](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-5709/): Command injection in n/a (critical 9.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2008-2812 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2008-2812 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 9 Jul 2008. 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-2008-2812 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Canonical Ubuntu Linux. 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-2008-2812/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2812/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-2812
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-2812
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2008-2812

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2812/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.