# CVE-2009-4607: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local users can escalate privileges to root by exploiting unrestricted shell escapes in the less utility within the CLI.

- **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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Jan 2010
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-j3wx-fgm6-cw62

## What is CVE-2009-4607?

CVE-2009-4607 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 13 Jan 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The command line interface in Overland Storage Snap Server 410 with GuardianOS 5.1.041 runs the "less" utility with a higher-privileged uid than the CLI user and without sufficient restriction on shell escapes, which allows local users to gain privileges using the "!" character within less to access a privileged shell.

Weakness: CWE-264

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-4607?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Overlandstorage Guardianos, Overlandstorage Snap Server 410.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-4607?

No fix has been published for CVE-2009-4607 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2009-4607 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2009-4607 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Overland Guardian OS 5.1.041 - Local Privilege Escalation (exploitdb)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-4607 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-4607 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 13 Jan 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2009-4607 exists.

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-2009-4607/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4607/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-4607
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-4607
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-4607

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4607/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.