FreeBSDOperating system
CVE-2008-5162
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 · uneditedThe arc4random function in the kernel in FreeBSD 6.3 through 7.1 does not have a proper entropy source for a short time period immediately after boot, which makes it easier for attackers to predict the function's return values and conduct certain attacks against the GEOM framework and various network protocols, related to the Yarrow random number generator.
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 confidenceThe arc4random function in FreeBSD 6.3-7.1 kernel has insufficient entropy immediately after boot due to the Yarrow random number generator not being fully seeded. This allows attackers to predict pseudo-random values used by the GEOM framework and network protocols, enabling cryptographic 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
FreeBSDOperating system
>= 6.4, < 7.0= 6.3= 7.0= 7.1CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 FreeBSD versionRun `uname -a` or `freebsd-version` to determine the installed FreeBSD versionAffected if The version is 6.3, 6.4 through 6.x, 7.0, or 7.1 (versions before 7.2)
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Inspect boot logs for entropy initializationCheck /var/log/messages or use `dmesg` for messages containing 'random' or 'entropy' during boot sequenceAffected if No evidence of entropy seeding completion or warnings about insufficient entropy at boot
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Verify random subsystem statusRun `sysctl kern.random` or check /dev/random device status using `cat /dev/random` to observe entropy availableAffected if The system reports low entropy or the random device shows insufficient entropy gathered
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Check for services using arc4random-derived cryptographyIdentify running services that rely on the GEOM framework or network protocols that use arc4random for cryptographic purposes (e.g., IPsec, wireless)Affected if Such services are active and the system is on an affected FreeBSD version
A system is affected if it runs FreeBSD 6.3, 6.4-6.x, 7.0, or 7.1 and the random subsystem was not fully seeded at boot, allowing predictable pseudo-random values in cryptographic operations.
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 data7.0
Upgrade to a patched FreeBSD version (7.2+), or ensure the system has sufficient entropy sources at boot (e.g., hardware RNG, kernel entropy harvesting configuration).
Fix this in FreeBSD
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-5162 — 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-2008-5162 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
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