# CVE-2009-3289: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can modify other users' files by exploiting incorrect permission handling in GLib's file copy function.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 22 Sep 2009
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2009-3289, GHSA-q7q8-g4m3-j3pq

## What is CVE-2009-3289?

CVE-2009-3289 is a high-severity vulnerability in Opensuse Opensuse, published on 22 Sep 2009. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The g_file_copy function in glib 2.0 sets the permissions of a target file to the permissions of a symbolic link (777), which allows user-assisted local users to modify files of other users, as demonstrated by using Nautilus to modify the permissions of the user home directory.

Weakness: CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-3289?

It affects 3 products.


Products: Gnome Glib, Opensuse Opensuse, Suse Suse Linux Enterprise Server.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-3289?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2009-3289 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-3289 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Opensuse Opensuse

- [CVE-2020-35457](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35457/): Integer overflow in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-13601](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-13601/): Glib: integer overflow in in g_escape_uri_string() (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2026-58016](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-58016/): Glib: integer underflow in gio/gdbusintrospection.c via "g_dbus_node_info_new_for_xml" (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2025-4056](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-4056/): Glib: glib crash after long command line (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2019-13012](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-13012/): Misconfiguration in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-3289 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-3289 is a high-severity vulnerability in Opensuse Opensuse, published on 22 Sep 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-2009-3289 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Opensuse Opensuse. 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-2009-3289/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3289/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-3289
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-3289
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-3289

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3289/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.