# CVE-2009-4642: Security feature bypass in n/a

> Attackers with physical access can bypass screen locking on Xfce desktops using gnome-screensaver due to incorrect idle time detection via D-Bus.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 Feb 2010
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2009-4642, GHSA-fv9m-992g-7qrw

## What is CVE-2009-4642?

CVE-2009-4642 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 11 Feb 2010. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

gnome-screensaver 2.26.1 relies on the gnome-session D-Bus interface to determine session idle time, even when an Xfce desktop such as Xubuntu or Mythbuntu is used, which allows physically proximate attackers to access an unattended workstation on which screen locking had been intended.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-4642?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gnome Screensaver.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-4642?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2009-4642 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-4642 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2009-4641](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4641/): Security feature bypass in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2010-0414](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0414/): Security feature bypass in n/a (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2010-0285](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0285/): Security feature bypass in n/a (medium 5.6)
- [CVE-2008-0887](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2008-0887/): Denial of service in n/a (medium 4.7)
- [CVE-2010-0422](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2010-0422/): Auth bypass in n/a (medium 4.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-4642 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-4642 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 11 Feb 2010. 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-2009-4642 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2009-4642/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4642/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-4642
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-4642
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-4642

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-4642/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.