CVE-2008-4389
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 · uneditedSymantec AppStream 5.2.x and Symantec Workspace Streaming (SWS) 6.1.x before 6.1 SP4 do not properly perform authentication, which allows remote Workspace Streaming servers and man-in-the-middle attackers to download arbitrary executable files onto a client system, and execute these files, via unspecified vectors.
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 · high confidenceSymantec AppStream 5.2.x and Workspace Streaming (SWS) 6.1.x before 6.1 SP4 contain an authentication bypass vulnerability allowing remote malicious streaming servers or man-in-the-middle attackers to push and execute arbitrary executable files onto client systems, resulting in complete system compromise.
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= 6.1= 5.2= 5.2.1= 5.2.2= 5.2.3CVSS 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
- Network
- Complexity
- M
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify installed product and versionLocate the installed Symantec Workspace Streaming (SWS) or AppStream application and check its version number from Add/Remove Programs, the application's About dialog, or the installation directory's version infoAffected if The installed version is Symantec Workspace Streaming 6.1.x before SP4, or AppStream 5.2, 5.2.1, 5.2.2, or 5.2.3
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Verify streaming client service statusCheck if the streaming client service (typically named 'AppStream Client' or 'Workspace Streaming Client' in Windows Services) is installed and runningAffected if The streaming client service is active and the version is in the affected range
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Inspect streaming server configurationExamine the client configuration files that define the streaming server(s) the client connects to. These are typically stored in the installation directory or system configuration areasAffected if The client is configured to connect to one or more streaming servers and the version is vulnerable
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Check for unencrypted streaming communicationReview the streaming client configuration for settings controlling encryption or SSL/TLS usage for server communicationAffected if The streaming communication allows unencrypted or unauthenticated connections and the version is in the affected range
A user is affected if they have Symantec Workspace Streaming 6.1.x before SP4 or AppStream 5.2.x installed with the streaming client enabled and configured to connect to streaming servers.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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.
dbcve · scopedApply Symantec Workspace Streaming 6.1 SP4 or later patch. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict network access to trusted streaming servers and implement TLS/SSL inspection to prevent MITM attacks.
Symantec Workspace Streaming 6.1 SP4 (or later)
- Upgrade Symantec Workspace Streaming to version 6.1 SP4 or later, as this version addresses the authentication bypass vulnerability
- If running AppStream 5.2.x, contact Symantec support to confirm the specific patched version or available patches for this vulnerability
- After upgrading, verify that the client systems can only download and execute files from properly authenticated servers
- Review server-client communication settings to ensure TLS/SSL is properly configured for man-in-the-middle protection
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-4389 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2008-4389 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data