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InitscriptsApplication · Rpath

CVE-2008-4832

MEDIUM · 6.9 CVSS v2.0 Published 2008-11-17
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
rc.sysinit in initscripts 8.12-8.21 and 8.56.15-0.1 on rPath allows local users to delete arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a directory under (1) /var/lock or (2) /var/run. NOTE: this issue exists because of a race condition in an incorrect fix for CVE-2008-3524. NOTE: exploitation may require an unusual scenario in which rc.sysinit is executed other than at boot time.

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 confidence

This is a symlink race condition vulnerability in the rc.sysinit startup script from the initscripts package (versions 8.12-8.21 and 8.56.15-0.1 on rPath). Local users can exploit insecure handling of /var/lock and /var/run directories to delete arbitrary files via symlink attacks. The flaw exists because the original fix for CVE-2008-3524 was incomplete, leaving a race condition window.

MitigationApply the updated initscripts package patch that properly secures the /var/lock and /var/run directories against symlink attacks. Consider restricting permissions on these directories as an additional defense-in-depth measure.

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
InitscriptsApplication
Affected:= 8.12-8.21= 8.56.15-0.1

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. Identify installed initscripts package version
    Run: rpm -qa | grep -i initscripts (for RPM-based) or dpkg -l | grep -i initscripts (for Debian-based). Also check /var/log/packages/initscripts if using rPath. Note the exact version number returned.
    Affected if The version falls within 8.12-8.21 or equals 8.56.15-0.1 (rPath-specific). Compare your version against these ranges.
  2. Locate the rc.sysinit script
    Find the rc.sysinit file on the system. Typical paths include /etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit or /etc/rc.sysinit. Verify the file exists and note its full path.
    Affected if The script exists and originates from a vulnerable initscripts package version.
  3. Inspect the handling of /var/run and /var/lock in rc.sysinit
    Open the rc.sysinit file and search for code that creates, sets permissions on, or writes to /var/run or /var/lock directories. Look for operations that may occur before setting secure permissions, particularly any mkdir or chmod commands with timing gaps.
    Affected if The script performs mkdir or chmod operations on these directories without atomic operations, leaving a race condition window between creation and permission setting.
  4. Check current permissions on /var/run and /var/lock
    Run: ls -lad /var/run /var/lock. Examine the permissions, ownership, and sticky bit settings. Verify if permissions are 1777 (world-writable with sticky bit) or otherwise insecure.
    Affected if The directories have permissive permissions (such as 1777) or lack proper ownership/restrictions that would allow symlink attacks.

The system is affected if the installed initscripts package version matches 8.12-8.21 or 8.56.15-0.1 and the rc.sysinit script handles /var/run or /var/lock with a race condition window before applying secure permissions.

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

Apply the updated initscripts package patch that properly secures the /var/lock and /var/run directories against symlink attacks. Consider restricting permissions on these directories as an additional defense-in-depth measure.

Fix this in Initscripts Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2008-4832 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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