# CVE-2008-4554: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Local attackers can bypass append-only file protections to modify arbitrary file locations due to improper handling of O_APPEND flags in the Linux kernel.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.6 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **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:** 15 Oct 2008
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qh85-78gq-v523

## What is CVE-2008-4554?

CVE-2008-4554 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 15 Oct 2008. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The do_splice_from function in fs/splice.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.27 does not reject file descriptors that have the O_APPEND flag set, which allows local users to bypass append mode and make arbitrary changes to other locations in the file.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-4554?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2008-4554?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2008-4554 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-4554 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2008-4554 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2008-4554 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 15 Oct 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-2008-4554 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. 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-2008-4554/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-4554/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2008-4554
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2008-4554
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2008-4554

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-4554/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.