What is CVE-2009-1388?

CVE-2009-1388 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, classified as a Improper Locking flaw (CWE-667). CVE-2009-1388 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2009-1388?

CVE-2009-1388 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity. The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.

Is there a patch available for CVE-2009-1388?

No patch is currently available for CVE-2009-1388. Monitor the NIST NVD and your Linux distribution's security advisories for updates.

Is CVE-2009-1388 actively exploited?

CVE-2009-1388 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

What is Improper Locking (CWE-667)?

The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. See MITRE CWE for full details: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/667.html

CVE-2009-1388

Medium

The ptrace_start function in kernel/ptrace.c in the Linux kernel 2.6.18 does not properly handle simultaneous execution of the do_coredump function, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (deadlock) via vectors involving the ptrace system call and a coredumping thread.

Package Linux Kernel

Published 2009-07-05

Last modified 2026-04-23

CVSS version 3.1

Patch available

Awaiting data

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10

Medium

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

Low

Integrity

None

Availability

High

Vector string

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

Weakness type

CWE-667

CVE-2009-1388 is a Improper Locking vulnerability

What is Improper Locking?

The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. Learn more on MITRE CWE

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2009-1388 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Osvdb
http://osvdb.org/55679

Broken Link
Secunia
http://secunia.com/advisories/36131

Broken Link
Secunia
http://secunia.com/advisories/37471

Broken Link
Red Hat
http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2009-1193.html

Broken Link
Securityfocus
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/507985/100/0/threaded

Broken Link Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
Securityfocus
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/35559

Broken Link Third Party Advisory VDB Entry
Vmware
http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2009-0016.html

Third Party Advisory
Vupen
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3316

Broken Link
Oval
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A8625

Broken Link
Oval
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A8680

Broken Link
Kernel patch commit
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=124654277229434&w=2
Patch
Kernel patch commit
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/attachment.cgi?id=346615
Patch
Kernel patch commit
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/attachment.cgi?id=346742
Patch

4 patch commits total View all on NVD

Details

CVE ID CVE-2009-1388

Severity Medium

CVSS score 5.5 / 10

CVSS version 3.1

Published 2009-07-05

Modified 2026-04-23

KEV No

Patch Awaiting data

Package linux

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-1388?

CVE-2009-1388 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as an Improper Locking flaw (CWE-667) . CVE-2009-1388 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
What is the CVSS score for CVE-2009-1388?

CVE-2009-1388 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
Is there a patch available for CVE-2009-1388?

No patch is currently available for CVE-2009-1388. Monitor the NIST NVD and your Linux distribution's security advisories for updates.
Is CVE-2009-1388 actively exploited?

No — CVE-2009-1388 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
What is Improper Locking (CWE-667)?

The product does not properly acquire or release a lock, which can lead to unexpected behaviour. View CWE-667 on MITRE CWE →