How severe is CVE-2009-5038?

CVE-2009-5038 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.8, rated high severity.

Is CVE-2009-5038 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-2009-5038?

CVE-2009-5038 affects Cisco Ios. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-5038?

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-2009-5038 published?

CVE-2009-5038 was published on 2011-01-07 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2009-5038

CVE-2009-5038 is a high-severity vulnerability in Cisco Ios with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.8. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 2.0 base score 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (87th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Cisco Ios
Published: 2011-01-07
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Cisco IOS before 15.0(1)XA does not properly handle IRC traffic during a specific time period after an initial reload, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via an attempted connection to a certain IRC server, related to a "corrupted magic value," aka Bug ID CSCso05336.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-5038?: Cisco IOS before 15.0(1)XA does not properly handle IRC traffic during a specific time period after an initial reload, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (device reload) via an attempted connection to a certain IRC server, related to a "corrupted magic value," aka Bug ID CSCso05336.
How severe is CVE-2009-5038?: CVE-2009-5038 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.8, rated high severity.
Is CVE-2009-5038 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-2009-5038?: CVE-2009-5038 affects Cisco Ios. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2009-5038?: 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-2009-5038 published?: CVE-2009-5038 was published on 2011-01-07 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:cisco:ios:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Cisco Ios

CVE-2011-3271 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in the Smart Install functionality in Cisco IOS 12.2 and 15.1 allows remote attackers to…
CVE-2011-0935 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The PKI functionality in Cisco IOS 15.0 and 15.1 does not prevent permanent caching of certain public keys, which…
CVE-2010-1574 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): IOS 12.2(52)SE and 12.2(52)SE1 on Cisco Industrial Ethernet (IE) 3000 series switches has (1) a community name of…
CVE-2010-0581 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in the SIP implementation in Cisco IOS 12.3 and 12.4 allows remote attackers to execute…
CVE-2010-0580 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Unspecified vulnerability in the SIP implementation in Cisco IOS 12.3 and 12.4 allows remote attackers to execute…
CVE-2006-4950 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Cisco IOS 12.2 through 12.4 before 20060920, as used by Cisco IAD2430, IAD2431, and IAD2432 Integrated Access Devices,…

All CVEs affecting Cisco Ios →

Other CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-48316 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48281 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48277 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): ColdFusion versions 2025.9, 2023.20 and earlier are affected by an Improper Input Validation vulnerability that could…
CVE-2026-48055 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Streambert is a cross-platform Electron Desktop App to stream and download any video media. In versions 2.4.0 and…
CVE-2026-34910 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): A malicious actor with access to the network could exploit an Improper Input Validation vulnerability found in UniFi OS…
CVE-2026-33587 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Lack of user input sanitisation in Open Notebook v1.8.3 allows the application user to execute Python code (and…

Browse all CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) vulnerabilities →