# CVE-2009-0169: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Authenticated sub-realm administrators can escalate privileges to root realm access by creating an amadmin account.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Jan 2009
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qx89-xhcp-6f84

## What is CVE-2009-0169?

CVE-2009-0169 is a critical vulnerability in n/a, published on 16 Jan 2009. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Sun Java System Access Manager 7.1 allows remote authenticated sub-realm administrators to gain privileges, as demonstrated by creating the amadmin account in the sub-realm, and then logging in as amadmin in the root realm.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-0169?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Sun Java System Access Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-0169?

No fix has been published for CVE-2009-0169 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2009-0169 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-0169 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2008-2705](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2705/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2008-2945](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-2945/): Code injection in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2007-5152](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-5152/): Auth bypass in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2006-0531](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2006-0531/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2007-5153](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-5153/): Code injection in n/a (medium 6.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-0169 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-0169 is a critical vulnerability in n/a, published on 16 Jan 2009. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-0169 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-2009-0169/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0169/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-0169
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-0169
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-0169

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0169/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.