CVE-2009-4272

Name: CVE-2009-4272
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2010-01-27T17:30:00.603+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

HIGHCVSS 7.5/10EPSS 11.05%

Last modified Jun 16, 2026

CVE-2009-4272 is a high-severity vulnerability rated 7.5/10 on the CVSS scale. A certain Red Hat patch for net/ipv4/route.c in the Linux kernel 2.6.18 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (deadlock) via crafted packets that force collisions in the IPv4 routing hash table, and trigger a routing "emergency" in which a hash chain is too long. NOTE: this is related to an issue in the Linux kernel before 2.6.31, when the kernel routing cache is disabled, involving an uninitialized pointer and a panic.. EPSS estimates a 11.05% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A certain Red Hat patch for net/ipv4/route.c in the Linux kernel 2.6.18 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (deadlock) via crafted packets that force collisions in the IPv4 routing hash table, and trigger a routing "emergency" in which a hash chain is too long. NOTE: this is related to an issue in the Linux kernel before 2.6.31, when the kernel routing cache is disabled, involving an uninitialized pointer and a panic.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

11.05%

95.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-667

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	2.6.18
Redhat	Virtualization	5.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Desktop	5.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Eus	5.4
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Server	5.0
Redhat	Enterprise Linux Workstation	5.0

References

http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=73e42897e8e5619eacb787d2ce69be12f47cfc21Broken Link
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=b6280b47a7a42970d098a3059f4ebe7e55e90d8dBroken Link
http://support.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/100073666Third Party Advisory
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.31Broken Link
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/01/20/1Mailing List
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/01/20/6Mailing List
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=545411Exploit, Issue Tracking
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/55808Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A11167Broken Link
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A7026Broken Link
https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2010-0046.htmlVendor Advisory
https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2010-0095.htmlVendor Advisory
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=73e42897e8e5619eacb787d2ce69be12f47cfc21Broken Link
http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=b6280b47a7a42970d098a3059f4ebe7e55e90d8dBroken Link
http://support.avaya.com/css/P8/documents/100073666Third Party Advisory
http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.31Broken Link
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/01/20/1Mailing List
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2010/01/20/6Mailing List
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=545411Exploit, Issue Tracking
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/55808Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A11167Broken Link
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A7026Broken Link
https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2010-0046.htmlVendor Advisory
https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2010-0095.htmlVendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Jan 27, 2010
Last Modified: Jun 16, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2009-4272?

How severe is CVE-2009-4272?

CVE-2009-4272 has a CVSS score of 7.5/10 (HIGH severity). The EPSS model estimates a 11.05% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2009-4272?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2009-4272?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

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Source: NVD / NIST