CVE-2009-2669
A certain debugging component in IBM AIX 5.3 and 6.1 does not properly handle the (1) _LIB_INIT_DBG and (2) _LIB_INIT_DBG_FILE environment variables, which allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging a setuid-root program to create an arbitrary…
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A public exploit is published in Exploit-DB (verified) and the impact is high, while EPSS rates exploitation at 0.7%. Anyone can run this; patch or mitigate before the next change window and check exposed instances for signs of use.
Description
A certain debugging component in IBM AIX 5.3 and 6.1 does not properly handle the (1) _LIB_INIT_DBG and (2) _LIB_INIT_DBG_FILE environment variables, which allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging a setuid-root program to create an arbitrary root-owned file with world-writable permissions, related to libC.a (aka the XL C++ runtime library) in AIX 5.3 and libc.a in AIX 6.1.
- CVSS 2.0
- 7.2 HIGHAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
- EPSS
- 0.71% probability · 53th percentile
- Public exploits
- 1 in Exploit-DB · verified · first 11 September 2009
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-264
- Affected
- ibm/aix
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 0.7% 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://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/libC_advisory.ascVendor Advisory
- http://labs.idefense.com/intelligence/vulnerabilities/display.php?id=815
- http://secunia.com/advisories/36156
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ54090
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ54091
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ54593
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ56203Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ56204Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ56205Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ56206Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35934Patch
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2151
- http://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/efixes/security/libC_advisory.ascVendor Advisory
- http://labs.idefense.com/intelligence/vulnerabilities/display.php?id=815
- http://secunia.com/advisories/36156
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ54090
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ54091
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ54593
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ56203Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ56204Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ56205Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=isg1IZ56206Patch, Vendor Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35934Patch
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/2151
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.