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NetbsdOperating system

CVE-2009-2482

MEDIUM · 6.9 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-07-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
74/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
The pam_unix module in OpenPAM in NetBSD 4.0 before 4.0.2 and 5.0 before 5.0.1 allows local users to change the current root password if it is already known, even when they are not in the wheel group.

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 confidence

The pam_unix module in OpenPAM on NetBSD 4.0 before 4.0.2 and 5.0 before 5.0.1 contains an authorization bypass where local users who know the current root password can change it even when they are not members of the wheel group, which should normally be required for root password changes.

MitigationUpgrade NetBSD systems to version 4.0.2, 5.0.1, or later which contain the corrected pam_unix module that properly enforces wheel group membership for root password changes.

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
NetbsdOperating system
Affected:= 4.0= 4.0.1= 4.1= 5.0

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify NetBSD version
    Run `uname -a` or check `/etc/release` to determine the installed NetBSD version
    Affected if The version is 4.0, 4.0.1, 4.1, or 5.0 (these are the affected versions)
  2. Locate PAM configuration for password changes
    Examine `/etc/pam.d/passwd` or `/etc/pam.conf` for entries using the pam_unix module
    Affected if pam_unix is configured for password authentication in the PAM stack
  3. Verify wheel group requirement is not enforced
    Check the pam_unix module arguments in the password service - look for entries that may bypass the wheel group check or lack proper group enforcement
    Affected if The pam_unix configuration does not enforce wheel group membership for root password changes
  4. Confirm current user is not in wheel group
    Run `id` or check `/etc/group` to verify the testing user is not a member of the wheel group
    Affected if The user is not listed in the wheel group in /etc/group

A NetBSD system is affected if it runs version 4.0 through 5.0, uses pam_unix for password changes, and allows a non-wheel user to change the root password when they know the current root password.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade NetBSD systems to version 4.0.2, 5.0.1, or later which contain the corrected pam_unix module that properly enforces wheel group membership for root password changes.

Fix this in Netbsd Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2009-2482 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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