How severe is CVE-2008-5162?

CVE-2008-5162 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2008-5162 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (24th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2008-5162?

CVE-2008-5162 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 30 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2008-5162?

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

When was CVE-2008-5162 published?

CVE-2008-5162 was published on 2008-11-26 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2008-5162

CVE-2008-5162 is a high-severity vulnerability in Freebsd with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0. 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-330.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.0)
CVSS v2: 6.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (24th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-330
Affected product: Freebsd
Published: 2008-11-26
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The arc4random function in the kernel in FreeBSD 6.3 through 7.1 does not have a proper entropy source for a short time period immediately after boot, which makes it easier for attackers to predict the function's return values and conduct certain attacks against the GEOM framework and various network protocols, related to the Yarrow random number generator.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2008-5162?: The arc4random function in the kernel in FreeBSD 6.3 through 7.1 does not have a proper entropy source for a short time period immediately after boot, which makes it easier for attackers to predict the function's return values and conduct certain attacks against the GEOM framework and various network protocols, related to the Yarrow random number generator.
How severe is CVE-2008-5162?: CVE-2008-5162 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.0, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with high attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2008-5162 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (24th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2008-5162?: CVE-2008-5162 primarily affects Freebsd. In total, 30 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2008-5162?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2008-5162 published?: CVE-2008-5162 was published on 2008-11-26 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (30)

cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:6.3:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:6.3:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:6.3:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:6.3:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:6.3:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:6.3:p5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.0:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.0:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.0:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.0:p5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p10:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p12:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p13:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p14:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p15:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p16:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p6:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p8:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:p9:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:freebsd:freebsd:7.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*

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