How severe is CVE-2008-4989?

CVE-2008-4989 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.

Is CVE-2008-4989 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-4989?

CVE-2008-4989 primarily affects Gnu Gnutls. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-4989?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2008-4989 published?

CVE-2008-4989 was published on 2008-11-13 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-4989

CVE-2008-4989 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Gnu Gnutls with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. 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-295.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (77th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-295
Affected product: Gnu Gnutls
Published: 2008-11-13
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The _gnutls_x509_verify_certificate function in lib/x509/verify.c in libgnutls in GnuTLS before 2.6.1 trusts certificate chains in which the last certificate is an arbitrary trusted, self-signed certificate, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to insert a spoofed certificate for any Distinguished Name (DN).

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-4989?: The _gnutls_x509_verify_certificate function in lib/x509/verify.c in libgnutls in GnuTLS before 2.6.1 trusts certificate chains in which the last certificate is an arbitrary trusted, self-signed certificate, which allows man-in-the-middle attackers to insert a spoofed certificate for any Distinguished Name (DN).
How severe is CVE-2008-4989?: CVE-2008-4989 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2008-4989 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (77th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-4989?: CVE-2008-4989 primarily affects Gnu Gnutls. In total, 13 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-4989?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2008-4989 published?: CVE-2008-4989 was published on 2008-11-13 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (13)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:gnutls:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:6.06:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:7.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.04:*:*:*:-:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise:10.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise:11.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:10:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:11:-:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Gnu Gnutls

CVE-2008-1948 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The _gnutls_server_name_recv_params function in lib/ext_server_name.c in libgnutls in gnutls-serv in GnuTLS before…
CVE-2021-20232 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): A flaw was found in gnutls. A use after free issue in client_send_params in lib/ext/pre_shared_key.c may lead to memory…
CVE-2021-20231 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): A flaw was found in gnutls. A use after free issue in client sending key_share extension may lead to memory corruption…
CVE-2017-5337 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Multiple heap-based buffer overflows in the read_attribute function in GnuTLS before 3.3.26 and 3.5.x before 3.5.8…
CVE-2017-5336 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Stack-based buffer overflow in the cdk_pk_get_keyid function in lib/opencdk/pubkey.c in GnuTLS before 3.3.26 and 3.5.x…
CVE-2017-5334 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): Double free vulnerability in the gnutls_x509_ext_import_proxy function in GnuTLS before 3.3.26 and 3.5.x before 3.5.8…

All CVEs affecting Gnu Gnutls →

Other CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-4370 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A vulnerability was identified in Juju from version 3.2.0 until 3.6.19 and from version 4.0 until 4.0.4, where the…
CVE-2026-30836 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Step CA is an online certificate authority for secure, automated certificate management for DevOps. Versions 0.30.0-rc6…
CVE-2025-68121 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): During session resumption in crypto/tls, if the underlying Config has its ClientCAs or RootCAs fields mutated between…
CVE-2022-20703 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco Small Business RV160, RV260, RV340, and RV345 Series Routers could allow an attacker…
CVE-2021-1471 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): Multiple vulnerabilities in Cisco Jabber for Windows, Cisco Jabber for MacOS, and Cisco Jabber for mobile platforms…
CVE-2026-20184 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): A vulnerability in the integration of single sign-on (SSO) with Control Hub in Cisco Webex Services could have allowed…

Browse all CWE-295 (Improper Certificate Validation) vulnerabilities →