How severe is CVE-2008-3908?

CVE-2008-3908 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2008-3908 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-3908?

CVE-2008-3908 affects Princeton University Wordnet. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-3908?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2008-3908 published?

CVE-2008-3908 was published on 2008-09-04 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-3908

CVE-2008-3908 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Princeton University Wordnet with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-119.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 10.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 4% (90th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-119
Affected product: Princeton University Wordnet
Published: 2008-09-04
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Multiple buffer overflows in Princeton WordNet (wn) 3.0 allow context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a long argument on the command line; a long (2) WNSEARCHDIR, (3) WNHOME, or (4) WNDBVERSION environment variable; or (5) a user-supplied dictionary (aka data file). NOTE: since WordNet itself does not run with special privileges, this issue only crosses privilege boundaries when WordNet is invoked as a third party component.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-3908?: Multiple buffer overflows in Princeton WordNet (wn) 3.0 allow context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a long argument on the command line; a long (2) WNSEARCHDIR, (3) WNHOME, or (4) WNDBVERSION environment variable; or (5) a user-supplied dictionary (aka data file). NOTE: since WordNet itself does not run with special privileges, this issue only crosses privilege boundaries when WordNet is invoked as a third party component.
How severe is CVE-2008-3908?: CVE-2008-3908 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2008-3908 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 4% (90th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-3908?: CVE-2008-3908 affects Princeton University Wordnet. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-3908?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2008-3908 published?: CVE-2008-3908 was published on 2008-09-04 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:princeton_university:wordnet:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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