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CVE-2008-4996
init in initramfs-tools 0.92f allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/initramfs.debug temporary…
- 5.5MediumCVSS base score
- 0.43%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 62% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
Description
init in initramfs-tools 0.92f allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/initramfs.debug temporary file. NOTE: the vendor disputes this vulnerability, stating that "init is [used in] a single-user context; there's no possibility that this is exploitable.
Timeline
ID reserved
By mitre
Published
- 16 years later
· 16 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADPADP (enrichment) | 3.1 | Medium5.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N |
| NVDNVD · Modified | 3.1 | Medium5.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.43% · top 62% of all CVEs (9 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: no · Technical impact: partial
Loading the EPSS history…
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: Medium 5.5.
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
References
4
- http://dev.gentoo.org/~rbu/security/debiantemp/initramfs-tools (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- [oss-security] 20081030 CVE requests: tempfile issues for aview, mgetty, openoffice, crossfire (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_MLISTx_transferred
- https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=235770 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
- http://bugs.debian.org/496386 (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_MISCx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2008-4975 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2008-4996)Record last updated .