# CVE-2009-3547: Race condition in n/a > Local attackers can exploit race conditions in pipe handling to crash the system or gain elevated privileges. - **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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:** 4 Nov 2009 - **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024 - **Also known as:** GHSA-qf89-p9hj-7h7g, RHSA-2009:1541, RHSA-2009:1588 ## What is CVE-2009-3547? CVE-2009-3547 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 4 Nov 2009. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. ### Official description Multiple race conditions in fs/pipe.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.32-rc6 allow local users to cause a denial of service (NULL pointer dereference and system crash) or gain privileges by attempting to open an anonymous pipe via a /proc/*/fd/ pathname. Weakness: CWE-672 (Operation on a Resource after Expiration or Release), CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference), CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-3547? It affects 14 products. | Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | `kernel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-hugemem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-hugemem-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-largesmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-largesmp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-smp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-smp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-xenU` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-xenU-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-hugemem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-hugemem-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-largesmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-largesmp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-smp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-smp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-xenU` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-xenU-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-hugemem` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-hugemem-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-largesmp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-largesmp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-smp` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-smp-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-xenU` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-xenU-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-debuginfo` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-devel` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | | `kernel-doc` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws | All versions | 0:2.6.9-89.0.16.EL | Products: Canonical Ubuntu Linux, Fedoraproject Fedora, Linux kernel, Novell Linux Desktop, Opensuse Opensuse, Redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop, Redhat Enterprise Linux Eus, Redhat Enterprise Linux Server, Redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation, Redhat Mrg Realtime, Suse Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop, Suse Suse Linux Enterprise Server, Vmware Esx, Vmware Vma. ## How do I fix CVE-2009-3547? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2009-3547 being exploited? It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2009-3547 exists. Public exploit code: - Linux Kernel 2.6.0 < 2.6.31 - 'pipe.c' Local Privilege Escalation (1) (exploitdb) - Linux Kernel 2.6.x - 'pipe.c' Local Privilege Escalation (2) (exploitdb) - Linux Kernel 2.4.1 < 2.4.37 / 2.6.1 < 2.6.32-rc5 - 'pipe.c' Local Privilege Escalation (3) (exploitdb) - Linux Kernel 2.6.32 - 'pipe.c' Local Privilege Escalation (4) (exploitdb) - Linux Kernel 2.6.10 < 2.6.31.5 - 'pipe.c' Local Privilege Escalation (exploitdb) ## 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-2009-3547 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2009-3547 is a high-severity vulnerability in Canonical Ubuntu Linux, published on 4 Nov 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-2009-3547 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-2009-3547/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3547/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-3547 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-3547 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-3547 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3547/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.