The _rtld function in the Run-Time Link-Editor (rtld) in libexec/rtld-elf/rtld.c in FreeBSD 7.1 and 8.0 does not clear the (1) LD_LIBMAP, (2) LD_LIBRARY_PATH, (3) LD_LIBMAP_DISABLE, (4) LD_DEBUG, and (5) LD_ELF_HINTS_PATH environment variables, which allows local users to gain privileges by executing a setuid or setguid program with a modified variable containing an untrusted search path that points to a Trojan horse library, different vectors than CVE-2009-4146.
CVE-2009-4147
- No confirmed exploitation signals yet
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- —
- EG Score
- 0.0(none)
- EPSS
- 88.4%
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
December 2, 2009
Last Modified
April 23, 2026
References (14)
- cve@mitrehttp://packetstormsecurity.com/files/152997/FreeBSD-rtld-execl-Privilege-Escalation.html
- cve@mitrehttp://people.freebsd.org/~cperciva/rtld.patch
- cve@mitrehttp://secunia.com/advisories/37517
- cve@mitrehttp://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/508142/100/0/threaded
- cve@mitrehttp://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/508146/100/0/threaded
- cve@mitrehttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37154
- cve@mitrehttp://www.securitytracker.com/id?1023250
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/152997/FreeBSD-rtld-execl-Privilege-Escalation.html
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://people.freebsd.org/~cperciva/rtld.patch
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://secunia.com/advisories/37517
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/508142/100/0/threaded
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/508146/100/0/threaded
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37154
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1023250
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 7× in last 7d / 40× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
- 2026-07-06 16:23 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-06 02:19 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-06 02:19 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-07-05 02:26 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-07-04 06:27 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-30 23:19 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-25 13:46 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-23 21:29 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-21 14:53 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-19 19:22 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-18 17:49 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-18 17:49 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-17 17:49 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-16 17:49 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-15 17:44 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-14 23:14 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-13 22:57 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-12 23:08 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-12 23:08 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-10 22:14 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-10 13:17 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-08 14:13 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-07 15:22 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-06 13:44 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-05 22:44 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-05 06:07 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-04 13:09 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-06-02 20:10 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-02 20:10 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-01 13:49 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-06-01 13:49 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-31 22:28 UTCEPSS rescore
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- 2026-05-31 00:13 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-31 00:13 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-30 14:27 UTCEG score recompute
- 2026-05-30 14:27 UTCGHSA enrichment
- 2026-05-29 13:40 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-28 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-28 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-28 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-27 13:38 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-27 13:38 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-26 13:41 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-26 13:41 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-26 07:16 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-26 07:16 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-24 16:43 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-20 22:37 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-20 22:37 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-20 11:21 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-20 11:20 UTCEPSS rescore
- 2026-05-18 21:29 UTCEPSS rescore
Publicly available exploits
(2 references)Working exploit code is in the public domain (1 Metasploit module) (1 Exploit-DB entry). Defenders should treat patch urgency accordingly — public PoCs typically lead to mass-exploitation within 24-72 hours.
- Exploit-DBEDB-10255✓ verifiedFirst seen Nov 30, 2009
FreeBSD 8.0 Run-Time Link-Editor (RTLD) - Local Privilege Escalation
Open source ↗ - Metasploitexploit/freebsd/local/rtld_execl_priv_esc✓ verifiedFirst seen Nov 30, 2009
FreeBSD rtld execl() Privilege Escalation
Open source ↗
Frequently asked(4)
What is CVE-2009-4147?
When was CVE-2009-4147 disclosed?
Is CVE-2009-4147 actively exploited?
How do I remediate CVE-2009-4147?
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