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CVE-2009-1388· NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

The ptrace_start function in kernel/ptrace.c in the Linux kernel 2.6.18 does not properly handle simultaneous execution of the do_coredump f

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.36% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: kernel (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5; kernel-debug (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5; kernel-debug-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to kernel (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5; kernel-debug (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5; kernel-debug-debuginfo (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client) 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

The ptrace_start function in kernel/ptrace.c in the Linux kernel 2.6.18 does not properly handle simultaneous execution of the do_coredump function, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (deadlock) via vectors involving the ptrace system call and a coredumping thread.

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
Jul 5, 2009
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
0.3% · 28th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.3%

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  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

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When you'll hear from us

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
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  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel2.6.18

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernelbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-debugbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-debug-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-debug-develbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-debuginfo-commonbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-develbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-docbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-headersbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-PAEbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-PAE-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-PAE-develbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-xenbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-xen-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientkernel-xen-develbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:rhel_eus:5.3kernel-kdumpbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:rhel_eus:5.3kernel-kdump-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5
Red Hat:rhel_eus:5.3kernel-kdump-develbefore 0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el50:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

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    85Now
  • CVE-2016-5195Race condition in mm/gup.c in the Linux kernel 2.x through 4.x before 4.8.3 allows local users to gain privileges by leveraging incorrect haKEV
    83Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2009-1961Jun 7, 2009 · The inode double locking code in fs/ocfs2/file.c in the Linux kernel 2.6.30 before 2.6.30-rc3, 2.6.27 before 2.6.27.24, 2.6.29 before 2.6.29
    18Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2009-2287Jul 1, 2009 · The kvm_arch_vcpu_ioctl_set_sregs function in the KVM in Linux kernel 2.6 before 2.6.30, when running on x86 systems, does not validate the
    19Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2009-1895Jul 16, 2009 · The personality subsystem in the Linux kernel before 2.6.31-rc3 has a PER_CLEAR_ON_SETID setting that does not clear the ADDR_COMPAT_LAYOUT
    28Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
red hat:kernel0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debug0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debug-debuginfo0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debug-devel0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debuginfo0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-debuginfo-common0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-devel0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-doc0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-headers0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-PAE0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-PAE-debuginfo0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:kernel-PAE-devel0:2.6.18-128.4.1.el5 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientPackage registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-667 · Improper Locking

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (13 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records