# CVE-2008-3972: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Attackers can bypass security updates on smart cards by manipulating labels, allowing exploitation of previously patched vulnerabilities via physical proximity.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.6 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Sep 2008
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3972, GHSA-445p-3crg-24jx

## What is CVE-2008-3972?

CVE-2008-3972 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 10 Sep 2008. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

pkcs15-tool in OpenSC before 0.11.6 does not apply security updates to a smart card unless the card's label matches the "OpenSC" string, which might allow physically proximate attackers to exploit vulnerabilities that the card owner expected were patched, as demonstrated by exploitation of CVE-2008-2235.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-3972?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Opensc-Project Opensc.

## How do I fix CVE-2008-3972?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2008-3972 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-3972 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2010-4523](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-4523/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2008-2235](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2235/): Misconfiguration in n/a (medium 4.9)
- [CVE-2009-0368](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0368/): Security feature bypass in n/a (low 2.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2008-3972 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2008-3972 is a medium-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 10 Sep 2008. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-3972 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-2008-3972/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3972/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-3972
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-3972
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2008-3972

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-3972/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.