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CVE-2009-5079 Details

Description

The (1) gendef.sh, (2) doc/fixinfo.sh, and (3) contrib/gdiffmk/tests/runtests.in scripts in GNU troff (aka groff) 1.21 and earlier allow local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a gro#####.tmp or /tmp/##### temporary file.

Metrics

CVSS 3.x Severity and Vector Strings:

No CVSS 3.x data is available for this CVE.

References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

By selecting these links, you will be leaving this site. These are references gathered from the official CVE record and are not endorsed by Volerion.

URL	Source(s)	Tag(s)
http://cvsweb.openwall.com/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/Owl/packages/groff/groff-1.20.1-owl-tmp.diff	CVE	Patch
http://cvsweb.openwall.com/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/Owl/packages/groff/groff-1.20.1-owl-tmp.diff.diff?r1=1.1%3Br2=1.2%3Bf=h	CVE
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/08/14/4	CVE
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/08/14/5	CVE	Patch
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2013:085	CVE
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2013:086	CVE
http://cvsweb.openwall.com/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/Owl/packages/groff/groff-1.20.1-owl-tmp.diff	[email protected]	Patch
http://cvsweb.openwall.com/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/Owl/packages/groff/groff-1.20.1-owl-tmp.diff.diff?r1=1.1%3Br2=1.2%3Bf=h	[email protected]
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/08/14/4	[email protected]
http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/08/14/5	[email protected]	Patch
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2013:085	[email protected]
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2013:086	[email protected]

see all 12 references

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-ID	CWE Name	Source
CWE-59	Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')	[email protected]

Affected Products

Product	Versions
gnu groff	<= 1.21 1.10 1.11 1.11a 1.14
CPE cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:::::::: cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.10:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.11:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.11a:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.14:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.15:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.16:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.16.1:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.17.1:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.17.2:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.18.1:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.19:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.19.1:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.19.2:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.20:::::::* cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.20.1:::::::* Remediation No remediation found in references.

Product

Versions

gnu groff

<= 1.21

1.10

1.11

1.11a

1.14

CPE

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.11a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.16.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.17.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.17.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.18.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.19.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.19.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:gnu:groff:1.20.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Remediation

No remediation found in references.

Change History

6 change records found show changes

Date	Action	Recorded By
Jun 16, 2026	CVE Modified	[email protected]
Apr 29, 2026	Status Change	[email protected]
Nov 21, 2024	CVE Modified	CVE
May 14, 2024	CVE Modified	[email protected]
Nov 7, 2023	CVE Modified	[email protected]
Jun 30, 2011	Initial Analysis	[email protected]