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CVE-2009-0538

4.6 · MEDIUM

Format string vulnerability in Symantec pcAnywhere before 12.5 SP1 allows local users to read and modify arbitrary memory locations, and cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly ha…

Published Mar 18, 2009symantecCWE-134EPSS 0.38%

Overview

CVE-2009-0538 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting symantec pcanywhere. It was published on March 18, 2009 and has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.6 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.6, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

Technical description

Format string vulnerability in Symantec pcAnywhere before 12.5 SP1 allows local users to read and modify arbitrary memory locations, and cause a denial of service (application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact, via format string specifiers in the pathname of a remote control file (aka .CHF file).

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from symantec. Update pcanywhere to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

Affected products

VendorProductVersionsStatus
symantecpcanywhere0Affected

References

Refosvdb.org/52797Refsecunia.com/advisories/34305Refsecurityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/security/Content/2009.03.17.htmlRefsecuritytracker.com/id?1021855Refwww.layereddefense.com/pcanywhere17mar.htmlRefwww.securityfocus.com/archive/1/501930/100/0/threadedRefwww.securityfocus.com/bid/33845Refwww.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/0755Refexchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/49291Refosvdb.org/52797

How CyberStrike helps

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-0538?

CVE-2009-0538 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting symantec pcanywhere. It was published on March 18, 2009 and has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.6 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2009-0538?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 4.6, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2009-0538?

Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from symantec. Update pcanywhere to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2009-0538?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2009-0538 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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