CVE-2009-1072

nfsd in the Linux kernel before 2.6.28.9 does not drop the CAP_MKNOD capability before handling a user request in a thread, which allows local users to create device nodes, as demonstrated on a filesystem that has been exported with the root_squash option.

Published: 2009-03-25 Last update: 2026-04-23 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2009-1072 is rated Low Risk (31.3/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.43%). Mandatory action: Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

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-2009-1072

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 0.59% 0.43% -0.16%
2 2025-12-08 0.80% 0.59% -0.21%
3 2025-03-30 0.80%

Full EPSS history (10 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2009-1072

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
4.9 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:C/A:N Click to expand
Access vector (AV:L)
Requires local access to the target system.
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:C)
Complete integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:N)
No availability impact.
3.9 6.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2009-1072

OS Trackers for CVE-2009-1072

vendor priority summary link
redhat medium https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2009-1072
ubuntu medium CVE-2009-1072 medium priority: Ubuntu including 3 source packages (linux, linux-source-2.6.15, linux-source-2.6.22), 18 status rows across 6 suites (dapper, gutsy, hardy, intrepid, jaunty, upstream): DNE 10, released 4, needs-triage 3, ignored 1. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2009-1072

Vendor comments (NVD) for CVE-2009-1072

  • Red Hat (2009-09-10T00:00:00)

    This issue has been rated as having moderate security impact. It was addressed in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4, 5, and Red Hat Enterprise MRG, via https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2009-1132.html , https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2009-1106.html , and https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2009-1081.html . This issue is not planned to be fixed in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1 and 3, due to these products being in Production 3 of their maintenance life-cycles, where only qualified security errata of important or critical impact are addressed. For further information about Errata Support Policy, visit: http://www.redhat.com/security/updates/errata/ .

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2009-1072

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
linux linux_kernel < 2.6.28.9 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
opensuse opensuse 10.3 cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:10.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
opensuse opensuse 11.0 cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
opensuse opensuse 11.1 cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:opensuse:11.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
suse linux_enterprise_desktop 10 cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_desktop:10:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
suse linux_enterprise_server 10 cpe:2.3:o:suse:linux_enterprise_server:10:sp2:*:*:*:*:*:*
debian debian_linux 4.0 cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
debian debian_linux 5.0 cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
canonical ubuntu_linux 6.06 cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:6.06:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
canonical ubuntu_linux 8.04 cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
canonical ubuntu_linux 8.10 cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:8.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
canonical ubuntu_linux 9.04 cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:9.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vcenter_server 4.0 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vcenter_server:4.0:-:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware virtualcenter 2.0.2 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:virtualcenter:2.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware virtualcenter 2.5 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:virtualcenter:2.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware server 2.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:server:2.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esx 3.0.3 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx:3.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esx 3.5 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx:3.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware esx 4.0 cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
vmware vma 4.0 cpe:2.3:a:vmware:vma:4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2009-1072

URL Tags
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commitdiff%3Bh=76a67ec6fb79ff3570dcb5342142c16098299911
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-04/msg00007.html Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-05/msg00002.html Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-06/msg00000.html Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2009-06/msg00001.html Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/34422 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/34432 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/34786 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/35121 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/35185 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/35343 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/35390 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/35394 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/35656 Broken Link
http://secunia.com/advisories/37471 Broken Link
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.kernel/805280 Broken Link
http://www.debian.org/security/2009/dsa-1800 Third Party Advisory
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.28.9 Broken Link
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/03/23/1 Mailing List Third Party Advisory
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2009-1081.html Broken Link
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/507985/100/0/threaded Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/34205 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-793-1 Third Party Advisory
http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2009-0016.html Third Party Advisory
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/0802 Broken Link
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3316 Broken Link
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/49356 Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A10314 Third Party Advisory
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A8382 Third Party Advisory
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