Buffer overflow in Python - CVE-2008-1887
Published: June 27, 2022 / Updated: June 3, 2025
Vulnerability identifier: #VU110165
CSH Severity: High
CVSS v4: 9.3 [CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2008-1887
CWE-ID: CWE-120
Exploitation vector: Remote access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a remote non-authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code.
Python 2.5.2 and earlier allows context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via multiple vectors that cause a negative size value to be provided to the PyString_FromStringAndSize function, which allocates less memory than expected when assert() is disabled and triggers a buffer overflow.
Affected software
Python
Gentoo Linux
dev-lang/python
Gentoo Linux
dev-lang/python
How to mitigate CVE-2008-1887
Install update from vendor's website.
dev-lang/python - update to 2.4.4-r13
External References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/490776
- http://bugs.python.org/issue2587
- http://www.debian.org/security/2008/dsa-1551
- http://secunia.com/advisories/29889
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/28749
- http://security.gentoo.org/glsa/glsa-200807-01.xml
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-632-1
- http://www.debian.org/security/2008/dsa-1620
- http://secunia.com/advisories/30872
- http://www.novell.com/support/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=InfoDocument-patchbuilder-readme5032900
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31518
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2008-08/msg00006.html
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31255
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31365
- http://secunia.com/advisories/31687
- http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2009/Feb/msg00000.html
- http://secunia.com/advisories/33937
- http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3438
- http://wiki.rpath.com/wiki/Advisories:rPSA-2009-0122
- http://secunia.com/advisories/37471
- http://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2009-0016.html
- http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3316
- https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/41944
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A8624
- https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A10407
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/507985/100/0/threaded
- http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/506056/100/0/threaded