CVE-2009-1240
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 · uneditedUnspecified vulnerability in the IBM Proventia engine 4.9.0.0.44 20081231, as used in IBM Proventia Network Mail Security System, Network Mail Security System Virtual Appliance, Desktop Endpoint Security, Network Multi-Function Security (MFS), and possibly other products, allows remote attackers to bypass detection of malware via a modified RAR archive.
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 · moderate confidenceThe IBM Proventia security engine 4.9.0.0.44 contains an unspecified vulnerability allowing remote attackers to bypass malware detection by using modified RAR archive files. This is a security control bypass that could allow malware to be delivered through email or file transfers without detection.
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 dataall versionsall versionsall versionsall versionsCVSS 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 IBM Proventia product is installedCheck for installation of any IBM Proventia product: Proventia Desktop Endpoint Security, Proventia Network Mail Security System, IBM Network Multi Function Security, or Proventia Network Mail Security System Virtual Appliance. Look in Add/Remove Programs (Windows), system inventory tools, or the product's native management interface.Affected if Any IBM Proventia product from the affected list is installed and the engine version is vulnerable.
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Determine the Proventia security engine versionLocate the engine version through the product's management console, about dialog, or check version files in the installation directory. The vulnerability is associated with engine version 4.9.0.0.44.Affected if The security engine version matches 4.9.0.0.44 or falls within an unpatched range.
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Verify RAR archive scanning is enabledCheck the product configuration settings for archive scanning. In the Proventia management console, examine the malware scanning settings for RAR file handling. This is typically found under scan settings, content inspection, or archive handling options.Affected if RAR archive scanning is enabled and the engine version is vulnerable to this bypass.
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Inspect malware detection logs for RAR file handlingReview Proventia scan logs or quarantine logs for entries involving RAR archive files. Look for any recent files scanned, especially RAR archives that may have passed through without detection or triggered alerts.Affected if RAR archives are being processed by the scanner and the engine version is unpatched.
You are affected if any IBM Proventia product from the affected list is installed with a vulnerable engine version (particularly 4.9.0.0.44) and RAR archive scanning is active.
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 dataUpdate the IBM Proventia engine to a patched version that addresses this vulnerability. Implement additional file-based security controls as compensating measures until the patch can be applied.
- Consultation8.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA8.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $12,352.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2009-1240 — 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-2009-1240 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data