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AxylApplication

CVE-2008-1417

MEDIUM · 6.9 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-03-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The prerm script in axyl 2.1.7 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the axyl.conf temporary file.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

The prerm (pre-removal) script in axyl version 2.1.7 creates a temporary file named axyl.conf without using safe practices such as mktemp or checking for existing symlinks. A local attacker can pre-create a symlink at the target path before the prerm script executes, causing the script to write arbitrary content to files owned by the attacker or potentially escalate privileges.

MitigationFix the prerm script to use safe temporary file creation (mktemp or similar) and verify file types before writing to prevent symlink attacks.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
AxylApplication
Affected:= 2.1.7

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if axyl package is installed
    Run 'dpkg -l axyl' on Debian-based systems or 'rpm -qa | grep -i axyl' on RPM-based systems
    Affected if axyl package is installed and the command returns output
  2. Check axyl version
    Run 'dpkg -l axyl' to see the version number, or 'rpm -qi axyl' on RPM systems
    Affected if Version displayed is 2.1.7 exactly
  3. Locate and inspect the prerm script
    Find the prerm script in /var/lib/dpkg/info/axyl.prerm (Debian) or /var/lib/rpm/package-axyl.prerm (RPM). Open it and search for temporary file creation involving 'axyl.conf'
    Affected if The script creates a file named 'axyl.conf' without using mktemp or checking for existing symlinks first
  4. Check for symlink at potential temporary file path
    Before package removal, check if a symlink exists at the path where the prerm script writes axyl.conf (typically /etc or /tmp directory). Run 'ls -la /etc/axyl.conf' or check the directory mentioned in the prerm script
    Affected if A symlink exists at the target path before package removal is attempted

You are affected if axyl version 2.1.7 is installed AND the prerm script uses unsafe temporary file creation for axyl.conf without mktemp or symlink checks.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Fix the prerm script to use safe temporary file creation (mktemp or similar) and verify file types before writing to prevent symlink attacks.

Fix this in Axyl Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-1417 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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