CVE-2008-4109

What it is

A certain Debian patch for OpenSSH before 4.3p2-9etch3 on etch; before 4.6p1-1 on sid and lenny; and on other distributions such as SUSE uses functions that are not async-signal-safe in the signal handler for login timeouts, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (connection slot exhaustion) via multiple login attempts. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2006-5051.

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited over the network without logging in. Limited direct impact.

Exploit odds

28.6% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS). Higher than most.

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2008-09-18 15:04 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-06-16 22:57 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 28.6% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 5.0 MEDIUM (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2008-09-18 15:04 UTC

Last modified

2026-06-16 22:57 UTC

Exploit probability

28.6% · EPSS, next 30 days

Weakness

CWE-264

Record status

Modified

Affected

• Openbsd OpenSSH ≤ 4.3p2
• Openbsd OpenSSH 1.2
• Openbsd OpenSSH 1.2.1
• Openbsd OpenSSH 1.2.2
• Openbsd OpenSSH 1.2.3
• Openbsd OpenSSH 1.2.27
• Openbsd OpenSSH 1.3
• Openbsd OpenSSH 1.5

Attack profile CVSS 2.0 · 5.0

Attack vector

Network

Complexity

Low

Authentication

None

Confidentiality

None

Integrity

None

Availability

Partial

Is it in your code?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2008-4109.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2008-4109. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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