CVE-2008-4996
5.5 · MEDIUMOverview
CVE-2008-4996 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting debian initramfs-tools. It was published on November 7, 2008 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
Technical 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.
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from debian. Update initramfs-tools 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
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References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2008-4996?
CVE-2008-4996 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting debian initramfs-tools. It was published on November 7, 2008 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2008-4996?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2008-4996?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from debian. Update initramfs-tools 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-2008-4996?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2008-4996 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
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