CVE-2008-5374
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 · uneditedbash-doc 3.2 allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a /tmp/cb#####.? temporary file, related to the (1) aliasconv.sh, (2) aliasconv.bash, and (3) cshtobash 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 confidenceThe bash-doc 3.2 package contains three scripts (aliasconv.sh, aliasconv.bash, and cshtobash) that create temporary files in /tmp using predictable names (cb#####.?) without proper symlink attack protection. A local user can preemptively create a symlink with the matching filename, causing the script to write to an arbitrary target file when executed by another user.
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= 3.2CVSS 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.
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Check if bash-doc package is installedOn Debian-based systems: dpkg -l | grep bash-doc. On RPM-based systems: rpm -qa | grep bash-doc. On other systems: find /usr -name 'bash-doc*' 2>/dev/nullAffected if bash-doc version 3.2 is installed
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Locate the affected scriptsSearch for aliasconv.sh, aliasconv.bash, and cshtobash in common paths: find /usr/share/doc -name 'aliasconv.sh' -o -name 'aliasconv.bash' -o -name 'cshtobash' 2>/dev/nullAffected if Any of these three scripts exist on the system
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Inspect temporary file creation in the scriptsUse grep to check for insecure /tmp file creation: grep -n '/tmp/cb' /path/to/aliasconv.sh /path/to/aliasconv.bash /path/to/cshtobash 2>/dev/nullAffected if Scripts contain patterns like /tmp/cb followed by predictable characters (e.g., cb#####.?) without using mktemp or equivalent protection
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Verify the temporary file naming is predictableExamine the script content for fixed or easily guessable temp file names such as cb followed by 5 digits and a file extensionAffected if The script uses predictable filenames like cb#####.? where # is a digit, with no random element or race condition protection
A system is affected if bash-doc version 3.2 is installed AND the scripts aliasconv.sh, aliasconv.bash, or cshtobash exist AND they create temporary files in /tmp with predictable names without using secure methods like mktemp.
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 dataReplace the insecure temporary file creation with secure methods such as mktemp(1) or use dedicated temporary file libraries that handle race condition protection.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,424.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2008-5374 — 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-2008-5374 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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