CVE-2009-0545
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 · uneditedcgi-bin/kerbynet in ZeroShell 1.0beta11 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in the type parameter in a NoAuthREQ x509List action.
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 confidenceCVE-2009-0545 is a high-severity vulnerability in ZeroShell 1.0beta11 and earlier, which allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands through shell metacharacters in the type parameter of a NoAuthREQ x509List action. This can lead to unauthorized command execution on the affected 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= 1.0CVSS 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
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- Complete
- Availability
- Complete
AV:N/AC:L/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 if ZeroShell is installedCheck for the presence of ZeroShell by looking for its web interface on common ports (80, 443) or check for ZeroShell-related processes or directories on the system.Affected if ZeroShell is found running on the system.
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Determine the ZeroShell versionAccess the ZeroShell web interface and look for version information typically displayed on the login page or in the admin dashboard, or check system files that may contain version metadata.Affected if The installed version is 1.0beta11 or any earlier version within the 1.0 release line.
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Verify the x509List endpoint is accessibleAttempt to access the NoAuthREQ x509List action endpoint. This is typically found in the authentication/certificate management portion of the ZeroShell web interface.Affected if The x509List action is accessible without authentication and accepts user input through the type parameter.
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Check for unauthenticated access to certificate functionsTest whether the NoAuthREQ parameter allows access to certificate listing functions without requiring login credentials.Affected if The system returns certificate data or accepts the type parameter without requiring authentication.
A system is affected if it is running ZeroShell version 1.0beta11 or earlier, and the x509List action with the NoAuthREQ parameter is accessible without authentication.
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 · scopedTo remediate this vulnerability, it is essential to upgrade to a version of ZeroShell that is not affected by this issue. Additionally, input validation should be implemented to sanitize user inputs.
Latest stable ZeroShell release (post-1.0beta11)
- 1. Download the latest stable ZeroShell release from the official vendor website at http://www.zeroshell.net/eng/
- 2. Review the release notes and changelog to confirm the fix for CVE-2009-0545 is included
- 3. Create a full backup of the current ZeroShell configuration before upgrading
- 4. Follow the official upgrade instructions specific to your ZeroShell deployment method (ISO, USB, or virtual appliance)
- 5. After upgrade, verify that the cgi-bin/kerbynet endpoint no longer accepts shell metacharacters in the type parameter
- 6. Test that the x509List functionality works correctly with valid inputs
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $4,304.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2009-0545 — 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-2009-0545 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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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
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