Untrusted search path vulnerability in the Python module in gedit allows local users to execute arbitrary code via a Trojan horse Python fi…

published 2009-01-28 17 y ago modified 2026-06-16 4 mo ago also EUVD-2009-0318

cvss: 6.9; version 2.0, NVD
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 0.6%; EPSS 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 50%
public exploits: 0; none known

Untrusted search path vulnerability in the Python module in gedit allows local users to execute arbitrary code via a Trojan horse Python file in the current working directory, related to a vulnerability in the PySys_SetArgv function (CVE-2008-5983).

Patch / fix

fixed in 1 distros 1 links 2

gnome libpeas 0.5.3

gedit Debian 14, Debian 13, Debian 12 2.22.3-2

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2009-0314

bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=569214 advisory
bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=481556 advisory

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2009-0314 updated 2026-11-07

gedit: untrusted python modules search path

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 gedit
affected: no fix planned “Will not fix”

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Exploit prediction

0.62% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 50% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

bugzilla.gnome.org http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=569214 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
bugzilla.redhat.com https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=481556 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
NVD	2.0	6.9	AV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Classification

Weakness

CWE-426 Untrusted Search Path

References

bugzilla.gnome.org /show_bug.cgi?id=569214
exploit, issue-tracking, patch, vendor-advisory
bugzilla.redhat.com /show_bug.cgi?id=481556
exploit, issue-tracking, patch, third-party-advisory
mandriva.com /security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2009:039
vendor-advisory, third-party-advisory
redhat.com /archives/fedora-package-announce/2009-January/msg01195.html
vendor-advisory, third-party-advisory
security.gentoo.org /glsa/glsa-200903-41.xml
vendor-advisory, third-party-advisory
secunia.com /advisories/33769
third-party-advisory
exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com /vulnerabilities/48271
vdb-entry, third-party-advisory
securityfocus.com /bid/33445
vdb-entry, third-party-advisory
openwall.com /lists/oss-security/2009/01/26/2
mailing-list
secunia.com /advisories/34522
third-party-advisory
secunia.com /advisories/33759
third-party-advisory

Sources

CVE List CVE-2009-0314
NVD CVE-2009-0314

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary