---
title: "CVE-2004-1038\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2004-1038?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2004-1038

Publication date 1 March 2005

Last updated 24 July 2024

---

Ubuntu priority

**High**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

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## Description

A design error in the IEEE1394 specification allows attackers with physical
access to a device to read and write to sensitive memory using a modified
FireWire/IEEE 1394 client, thus bypassing intended restrictions that would
normally require greater degrees of physical access to exploit. NOTE: this
was reported in 2008 to affect Windows Vista, but some Linux-based
operating systems have protection mechanisms against this attack.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2004-1038?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| linux | 9.10 karmic | Ignored |
| 9.04 jaunty | Ignored |
| 8.10 intrepid | Ignored |
| 8.04 LTS hardy | Ignored |
| 6.06 LTS dapper | Not in release |
| linux-source-2.6.15 | 9.10 karmic | Not in release |
| 9.04 jaunty | Not in release |
| 8.10 intrepid | Not in release |
| 8.04 LTS hardy | Not in release |
| 6.06 LTS dapper | Ignored |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)

## Notes

---

### [kees](https://launchpad.net/~kees)

This is a physical design issue with Firewire. It can be mitigated
via setting "options ohci1394 phys\_dma=0" in a /etc/modprobe.d/ file,
though this will greatly reduce the speed of your Firewire.

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2004-1038)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2004-1038)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2004-1038)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2004-1038)

### Other references

* <http://www.hermann-uwe.de/blog/physical-memory-attacks-via-firewire-dma-part-1-overview-and-mitigation>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-1038>