How severe is CVE-2009-2904?

CVE-2009-2904 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 6.9, rated medium severity.

Is CVE-2009-2904 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-2009-2904?

CVE-2009-2904 primarily affects Openbsd Openssh. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-2904?

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

When was CVE-2009-2904 published?

CVE-2009-2904 was published on 2009-10-01 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2009-2904

CVE-2009-2904 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Openbsd Openssh with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 6.9. 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-16.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 2.0 base score 6.9)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (24th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-16
Affected product: Openbsd Openssh
Published: 2009-10-01
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

A certain Red Hat modification to the ChrootDirectory feature in OpenSSH 4.8, as used in sshd in OpenSSH 4.3 in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.4 and Fedora 11, allows local users to gain privileges via hard links to setuid programs that use configuration files within the chroot directory, related to requirements for directory ownership.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-2904?: A certain Red Hat modification to the ChrootDirectory feature in OpenSSH 4.8, as used in sshd in OpenSSH 4.3 in Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.4 and Fedora 11, allows local users to gain privileges via hard links to setuid programs that use configuration files within the chroot directory, related to requirements for directory ownership.
How severe is CVE-2009-2904?: CVE-2009-2904 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 6.9, rated medium severity.
Is CVE-2009-2904 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-2009-2904?: CVE-2009-2904 primarily affects Openbsd Openssh. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2009-2904?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2009-2904 published?: CVE-2009-2904 was published on 2009-10-01 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:openbsd:openssh:4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:openbsd:openssh:4.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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Other CWE-16 vulnerabilities

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CVE-2011-4501 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The UPnP IGD implementation in Edimax EdiLinux on the Edimax BR-6104K with firmware before 3.25, Edimax 6114Wg,…
CVE-2010-4586 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The default configuration of Opera before 11.00 enables WebSockets functionality, which has unspecified impact and…
CVE-2010-2977 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Cisco Unified Wireless Network (UWN) Solution 7.x before 7.0.98.0 does not properly implement TLS and SSL, which has…
CVE-2010-2276 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The default configuration of the build process in Dojo 0.4.x before 0.4.4, 1.0.x before 1.0.3, 1.1.x before 1.1.2,…

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Threat intelligence

Threat-intel indicators referencing this CVE:

60.166.8.174 (ipv4-addr)
60.166.31.198 (ipv4-addr)
175.203.199.118 (ipv4-addr)
218.146.45.68 (ipv4-addr)
220.179.120.26 (ipv4-addr)
112.161.42.97 (ipv4-addr)