CVE-2009-0778

High

The icmp_send function in net/ipv4/icmp.c in the Linux kernel before 2.6.25, when configured as a router with a REJECT route, does not properly manage the Protocol Independent Destination Cache (aka DST) in some situations involving transmission of an ICMP Host Unreachable message, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (connectivity outage) by sending a large series of packets to many destination IP addresses within this REJECT route, related to an "rt_cache leak."

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2009-03-12
Last modified 2026-04-23
CVSS version 2.0
Patch available
Awaiting data

CVSS 2.0 score

7.1

out of 10
High
Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Privileges Required
User Interaction
Scope
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Vector string
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2009-0778 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2009-0778?

    CVE-2009-0778 is a High severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.1 out of 10 . CVE-2009-0778 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2009-0778?

    CVE-2009-0778 has a CVSS score of 7.1 out of 10, rated High severity (CVSS 2.0). The vector string is AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2009-0778?

    No patch is currently available for CVE-2009-0778. Monitor the NIST NVD and your Linux distribution's security advisories for updates.

  • Is CVE-2009-0778 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2009-0778 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

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