CVE-2008-4190
The IPSEC livetest tool in Openswan 2.4.12 and earlier, and 2.6.x through 2.6.16, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files and execute arbitrary code via a symlink attack on the (1) ipseclive.conn and (2) ipsec.olts.remote.log temporary files.
Does this matter?
A public exploit is published in Exploit-DB (verified), so the technical barrier is gone even though the severity is medium and EPSS is 1.1%. Treat it as high on anything reachable from the internet.
Description
The IPSEC livetest tool in Openswan 2.4.12 and earlier, and 2.6.x through 2.6.16, allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files and execute arbitrary code via a symlink attack on the (1) ipseclive.conn and (2) ipsec.olts.remote.log temporary files. NOTE: in many distributions and the upstream version, this tool has been disabled.
- CVSS 2.0
- 4.4 MEDIUMAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
- EPSS
- 1.11% probability · 66th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · verified · first 13 July 2009
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-59
- Affected
- openswan/openswan · xelerance/openswan
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 1.1% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
Public exploits (1)
Entries in Exploit-DB that cite this CVE. Links go to the Exploit-DB page and to the file in the public repository; nothing is hosted here. A verified tick means the Exploit-DB team confirmed the exploit works against the stated version.
References
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=496374Patch
- http://dev.gentoo.org/~rbu/security/debiantemp/openswan
- http://secunia.com/advisories/34182Vendor Advisory
- http://secunia.com/advisories/34472Vendor Advisory
- http://www.debian.org/security/2009/dsa-1760Patch
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2008/10/30/2
- http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2009-0402.htmlPatch
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/501624/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/501640/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/31243Patch
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235770
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=460425
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/45250
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A10078
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/9135
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=496374Patch
- http://dev.gentoo.org/~rbu/security/debiantemp/openswan
- http://secunia.com/advisories/34182Vendor Advisory
- http://secunia.com/advisories/34472Vendor Advisory
- http://www.debian.org/security/2009/dsa-1760Patch
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2008/10/30/2
- http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2009-0402.htmlPatch
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/501624/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/501640/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/31243Patch
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235770
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=460425
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/45250
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A10078
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/9135
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.