# CVE-2009-1893: Path traversal in n/a

> Local attackers can overwrite arbitrary files via symlink attacks in the Red Hat DHCP init script, requiring local access to exploit.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.9 (`AV:L/AC:M/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 Jul 2009
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-45mc-hh26-869m

## What is CVE-2009-1893?

CVE-2009-1893 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 17 Jul 2009. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The configtest function in the Red Hat dhcpd init script for DHCP 3.0.1 in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 3 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on an unspecified temporary file, related to the "dhcpd -t" command.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-1893?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Isc Dhcp, Redhat Enterprise Linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-1893?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2009-1893 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-1893 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Redhat Enterprise Linux

- [CVE-2009-0692](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-0692/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2011-0413](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-0413/): Denial of service in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2018-5732](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-5732/): A specially constructed response from a malicious server can cause a buffer overflow in dhclient (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2011-4868](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-4868/): Null dereference in n/a (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2012-3570](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-3570/): Memory corruption in n/a (medium 5.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-1893 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-1893 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in Redhat Enterprise Linux, published on 17 Jul 2009. 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-2009-1893 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Redhat Enterprise 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-2009-1893/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1893/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-1893
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-1893
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-1893

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-1893/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.