CVE-2009-0790

The pluto IKE daemon in Openswan and Strongswan IPsec 2.6 before 2.6.21 and 2.4 before 2.4.14, and Strongswan 4.2 before 4.2.14 and 2.8 before 2.8.9, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (daemon crash and restart) via a crafted (1) R_U_THERE or (2) R_U_THERE_ACK Dead Peer Detection (DPD) IPsec IKE Notification message that triggers a NULL pointer dereference related to inconsistent ISAKMP state and the lack of a phase2 state association in DPD.

Published: 2009-04-01 Last update: 2026-06-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2009-0790 is rated Moderate Risk (45.2/100): CVSS Medium severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 3.18%). Mandatory action: Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2009-0790

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 10.86% 3.18% -7.68%
2 2025-03-30 15.97% 10.86% -5.11%
3 2025-03-29 15.97%

Full EPSS history (12 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2009-0790

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
5.0 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:N)
No confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:N)
No integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
10.0 2.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2009-0790

OS Trackers for CVE-2009-0790

vendor priority summary link
debian medium CVE-2009-0790 medium priority: Debian including 1 source packages (strongswan), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 5. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2009-0790
gentoo normal CVE-2009-0790: 1 GLSA(s) (200909-05), 1 atom(s) (net-misc/openswan); latest impact normal. https://bugs.gentoo.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=CVE-2009-0790
redhat high https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2009-0790
suse medium CVE-2009-0790 severity moderate: SUSE including 53 source package names (openswan-2.6.16-1.32.1, openswan-doc-2.6.16-1.32.1, …), 138 product×package rows across 33 product lines (SUSE CaaS Platform 4.0, SUSE Enterprise Storage 6, … (33 product lines)): Fixed 97, Known Not Affected 41. https://www.suse.com/security/cve/CVE-2009-0790/
ubuntu medium CVE-2009-0790 medium priority: Ubuntu including 2 source packages (openswan, strongswan), 22 status rows across 11 suites (dapper, gutsy, hardy, intrepid, jaunty, karmic, lucid, maverick, natty, oneiric, upstream): not-affected 10, ignored 8, released 3, DNE 1. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2009-0790

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2009-0790

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
strongswan strongswan 2.4.0 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.4.0a cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.4.0a:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.4.1 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.4.2 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.4.3 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.4.4 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.6.0 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.6.1 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.6.2 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.6.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.6.3 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.6.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.6.4 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.6.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.8.0 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.8.1 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.8.2 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.8.3 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.8.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.8.4 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.8.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.8.7 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.8.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 2.8.8 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:2.8.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.0 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.1 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.2 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.3 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.4 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.5 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.6 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.7 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.8 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.9 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.10 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.11 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.12 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
strongswan strongswan 4.2.13 cpe:2.3:a:strongswan:strongswan:4.2.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.4.0 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.4.1 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.4.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.4.2 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.4.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.4.3 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.4.4 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.4.5 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.4.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.4.9 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.4.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.4.10 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.4.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.03 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.03:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.04 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.05 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.05:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.06 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.06:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.07 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.07:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.08 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.08:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.09 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.09:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.10 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.11 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.12 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.13 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.14 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.15 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.16 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.17 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.18 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.19 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
xelerance openswan 2.6.20 cpe:2.3:a:xelerance:openswan:2.6.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2009-0790

URL Tags
http://download.strongswan.org/CHANGES4.txt Vendor Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-04/msg00010.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/34472 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/34483 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/34494 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/34546 Vendor Advisory
http://www.debian.org/security/2009/dsa-1759 Patch
http://www.debian.org/security/2009/dsa-1760 Patch
http://www.openswan.org/CVE-2009-0790/CVE-2009-0790.txt Vendor Advisory
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2009-0402.html
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/502270/100/0/threaded
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/34296 Patch
http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1021949
http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1021950
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/0886
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/49523
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A11171
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