How severe is CVE-2009-1889?

CVE-2009-1889 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2009-1889 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2009-1889?

CVE-2009-1889 primarily affects Pidgin. In total, 26 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-1889?

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

When was CVE-2009-1889 published?

CVE-2009-1889 was published on 2009-07-01 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2009-1889

CVE-2009-1889 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Pidgin with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0. 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-399.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 5.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (87th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-399
Affected product: Pidgin
Published: 2009-07-01
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

The OSCAR protocol implementation in Pidgin before 2.5.8 misinterprets the ICQWebMessage message type as the ICQSMS message type, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted ICQ web message that triggers allocation of a large amount of memory.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-1889?: The OSCAR protocol implementation in Pidgin before 2.5.8 misinterprets the ICQWebMessage message type as the ICQSMS message type, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted ICQ web message that triggers allocation of a large amount of memory.
How severe is CVE-2009-1889?: CVE-2009-1889 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 5.0, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2009-1889 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (87th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2009-1889?: CVE-2009-1889 primarily affects Pidgin. In total, 26 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2009-1889?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2009-1889 published?: CVE-2009-1889 was published on 2009-07-01 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (26)

cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.0.2:*:linux:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.1.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.3:32_bit:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.4:32_bit:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.5:32_bit:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:pidgin:pidgin:2.5.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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