How severe is CVE-2009-1046?

CVE-2009-1046 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.7, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2009-1046 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (52nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2009-1046?

CVE-2009-1046 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-1046?

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

When was CVE-2009-1046 published?

CVE-2009-1046 was published on 2009-03-23 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2009-1046

CVE-2009-1046 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.7. 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-399.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 4.7)
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (52nd percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2009-03-23
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The console selection feature in the Linux kernel 2.6.28 before 2.6.28.4, 2.6.25, and possibly earlier versions, when the UTF-8 console is used, allows physically proximate attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) by selecting a small number of 3-byte UTF-8 characters, which triggers an "off-by-two memory error." NOTE: it is not clear whether this issue crosses privilege boundaries.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-1046?: The console selection feature in the Linux kernel 2.6.28 before 2.6.28.4, 2.6.25, and possibly earlier versions, when the UTF-8 console is used, allows physically proximate attackers to cause a denial of service (memory corruption) by selecting a small number of 3-byte UTF-8 characters, which triggers an "off-by-two memory error." NOTE: it is not clear whether this issue crosses privilege boundaries.
How severe is CVE-2009-1046?: CVE-2009-1046 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.7, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2009-1046 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (52nd percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2009-1046?: CVE-2009-1046 primarily affects Linux Linux Kernel. In total, 5 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2009-1046?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2009-1046 published?: CVE-2009-1046 was published on 2009-03-23 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (5)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.25:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.28:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.28.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.28.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:2.6.28.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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