CVE-2008-4984
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 · uneditedscratchbox2 1.99.0.24 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on (a) /tmp/dpkg.#####.tmp, (b) /tmp/missing_deps.#####, and (c) /tmp/sb2-pkg-chk.$tstamp.##### temporary files, related to the (1) dpkg-checkbuilddeps and (2) sb2-check-pkg-mappings scripts.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidencescratchbox2 1.99.0.24 contains insecure temporary file creation in dpkg-checkbuilddeps and sb2-check-pkg-mappings scripts. These scripts create predictable temporary files in /tmp (dpkg.#####.tmp, missing_deps.####, sb2-pkg-chk.$tstamp.#####) without proper checks, allowing local users to perform symlink attacks and overwrite arbitrary files on the system.
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= 1.99.0.24CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Check if scratchbox2 is installedRun 'dpkg -l scratchbox2' or 'rpm -qa | grep scratchbox2' or check for presence of /scratchbox directoryAffected if scratchbox2 package is found on the system
-
Verify the installed versionRun 'dpkg -l scratchbox2' and look for version 1.99.0.24, or check /scratchbox2 directory for version filesAffected if The installed version is exactly 1.99.0.24
-
Locate the affected scriptsSearch for dpkg-checkbuilddeps and sb2-check-pkg-mappings scripts using 'find / -name dpkg-checkbuilddeps -o -name sb2-check-pkg-mappings 2>/dev/null'Affected if Both scripts exist on the system (typically in /scratchbox2/bin or /usr/bin)
-
Inspect dpkg-checkbuilddeps for insecure temp file patternsExamine the script content and look for patterns like 'dpkg.#####.tmp' or '/tmp/dpkg.' being created without O_EXCL or mkstempAffected if The script creates temporary files with predictable names in /tmp without using secure methods like mkstemp with O_EXCL
-
Inspect sb2-check-pkg-mappings for insecure temp file patternsExamine the script content and look for patterns like 'missing_deps.####' or 'sb2-pkg-chk.$tstamp.#####' in /tmp without secure creation methodsAffected if The script creates temporary files with predictable names in /tmp without using secure methods like mkstemp with O_EXCL
A system is affected if scratchbox2 version 1.99.0.24 is installed AND the dpkg-checkbuilddeps or sb2-check-pkg-mappings scripts contain predictable temporary file creation in /tmp without O_EXCL or mkstemp protection.
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.
From vendor dataModify the affected scripts to use secure temporary file creation methods such as mkstemp() with O_EXCL flag, or create temporary files in a directory with restricted permissions (e.g., via mkdtemp). Avoid predictable filenames in /tmp.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-4984 — 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-2008-4984 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- 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