CVE-2008-4996 Path traversal in n/a
Local attackers can overwrite arbitrary files via symlink attacks on temporary files in initramfs-tools, though vendor disputes exploitability.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2008-4996?
CVE-2008-4996 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 Nov 2008. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
init in initramfs-tools 0.92f allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/initramfs.debug temporary file. NOTE: the vendor disputes this vulnerability, stating that "init is [used in] a single-user context; there's no possibility that this is exploitable.
Weakness: CWE-59
Which versions are affected by CVE-2008-4996?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Debian Initramfs-Tools.
How do I fix CVE-2008-4996?
No fix has been published for CVE-2008-4996 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2008-4996 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2008-4996 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2008-4996, GHSA-5hcq-w636-2w8h.