LOW CVSS 3.7
Published: 2008-11-19

CVE-2008-5161

openbsd openssh Security Advisory (CVE-2008-5161)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2008-5161 impacting openbsd openssh. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 3.7 (LOW).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Error handling in the SSH protocol in (1) SSH Tectia Client and Server and Connector 4.0 through 4.4.11, 5.0 through 5.2.4, and 5.3 through 5.3.8; Client and Server and ConnectSecure 6.0 through 6.0.4; Server for Linux on IBM System z 6.0.4; Server for IBM z/OS 5.5.1 and earlier, 6.0.0, and 6.0.1; and Client 4.0-J through 4.3.3-J and 4.0-K through 4.3.10-K; and (2) OpenSSH 4.7p1 and possibly other versions, when using a block cipher algorithm in Cipher Block Chaining (CBC) mode, makes it easier for remote attackers to recover certain plaintext data from an arbitrary block of ciphertext in an SSH session via unknown vectors.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
High (AC:H)
Depends on race conditions or environment
Privileges Required
None (PR:N)
Unauthenticated execution
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
Low (C:L)
Partial information leakage
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact
Availability
None (A:N)
No system availability impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product openbsd / openssh
Affected Versions 4.7p1
Weakness Enumeration CWE-200

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2008-5161 impacting openbsd openssh.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2008-5161.yaml
id: cve-2008-5161

info:
  name: openbsd openssh - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: low
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2008-5161 affecting openbsd openssh.
    Evaluation: Error handling in the SSH protocol in (1) SSH Tectia Client and Server and Connector 4.0 through 4.4.11, 5.0 through 5.2.4, and 5.3 through 5.3.8; Cli...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2008-5161
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
    cvss-score: 3.7
    cve-id: CVE-2008-5161
    cwe-id: CWE-200
  tags: cve,cve-2008-5161,openbsd,openssh,low

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "openssh"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2008-5161.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2008-5161
# Target: openbsd openssh | CVSS: 3.7 (LOW)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2008-5161 (openbsd openssh)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against openbsd openssh scope (4.7p1).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2008-5161.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2008-5161
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install openssh 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade openssh 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update openssh

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i openssh 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i openssh

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2008-5161 in openbsd openssh?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update openbsd openssh packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2008-5161?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2008-5161?

CVE-2008-5161 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 3.7 (LOW). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
3.7
LOW SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2008-5161
Weakness CWE-200
Vendor openbsd
Product openssh
Published 2008-11-19
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N