# CVE-2009-1185: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can gain privileges by sending spoofed NETLINK messages to udev due to missing kernel origin verification.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **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:** 17 Apr 2009
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-3cx7-86h6-xwmp, MINI-x8hh-mh62-82mg, RHSA-2009:0427

## What is CVE-2009-1185?

CVE-2009-1185 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 17 Apr 2009. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

udev before 1.4.1 does not verify whether a NETLINK message originates from kernel space, which allows local users to gain privileges by sending a NETLINK message from user space.

Weakness: CWE-346 (Origin Validation Error)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-1185?

It affects 9 products.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `libvolume_id` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |
| `udev` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |
| `udev-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |
| `libvolume_id-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |
| `udev` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |
| `udev-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstation | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |
| `libvolume_id` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |
| `libvolume_id-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |
| `udev` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |
| `udev-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server | All versions | 0:095-14.20.el5_3 |

Products: Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Debian Debian Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Juniper Ctpview, Opensuse Opensuse, Suse Linux Enterprise Debuginfo, Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop, Suse Linux Enterprise Server, Udev Project Udev.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-1185?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2009-1185 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2009-1185 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Linux udev Netlink Local Privilege Escalation (metasploit)
- Linux Kernel 2.6 (Debian 4.0 / Ubuntu / Gentoo) UDEV < 1.4.1 - Local Privilege Escalation (1) (exploitdb)
- Linux Kernel 2.6 (Gentoo / Ubuntu 8.10/9.04) UDEV < 1.4.1 - Local Privilege Escalation (2) (exploitdb)
- Linux Kernel UDEV < 1.4.1 - 'Netlink' Local Privilege Escalation (Metasploit) (exploitdb)
- Metasploit-based penetration test on an isolated Metasploitable2 lab VM — remote exploitation via DistCC (CVE-2004-2687), privilege escalation via udev netlink (CVE-2009-1185), and vsftpd 2.3.4 backdoor analysis (CVE-2011-2523), with firewall mitigation validated end-to-end. (github_poc): https://github.com/aish19siddiqua-commits/mtechweek_04
- Linux Kernel Exploits -> CVE-2009-1185  + CVE-2009-1337 + CVE-2009-2692 + CVE-2009-2698 + CVE-2009-3547 (github_poc): https://github.com/0b0111100/2009

## Other vulnerabilities in Canonical Ubuntu Linux

- [CVE-2020-11651](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-11651/): SaltStack Salt Authentication Bypass (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2020-7247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-7247/): OpenSMTPD Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2019-16928](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-16928/): Exim Out-of-bounds Write (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2018-6789](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6789/): Exim Buffer Overflow (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2015-2590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-2590/): Oracle Java SE and Java SE Embedded Remote Code Execution (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-1185 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-1185 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 17 Apr 2009. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2009-1185 exists.

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-2009-1185/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1185/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-1185
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-1185
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-1185

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1185/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.