---
title: "CVE-2009-5081\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-2009-5081?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2009-5081

Publication date 30 June 2011

Last updated 24 July 2024

---

Ubuntu priority

**Low**

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

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## Description

The (1) config.guess, (2) contrib/groffer/perl/groffer.pl, and (3)
contrib/groffer/perl/roff2.pl scripts in GNU troff (aka groff) 1.21 and
earlier use an insufficient number of X characters in the template argument
to the tempfile function, which makes it easier for local users to
overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file, a
different vulnerability than CVE-2004-0969.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2009-5081?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| groff | 11.10 oneiric | Ignored |
| 11.04 natty | Ignored |
| 10.10 maverick | Ignored |
| 10.04 LTS lucid | Ignored |
| 8.04 LTS hardy | 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

---

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

only exloitable in the build
Debian CVE tracker lists this as fixed in 1.20.1-5, but it is not

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2009-5081)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-5081)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2009-5081)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2009-5081)

### Other references

* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-5081>