CVE-2009-0034: parse.c in sudo 1.6.9p17 through 1.6.9p19 does not properly interpret a system group (aka %group) in the sudoe

Routine

HIGH 7.8MITIGATEMITIGATE

CVE-2009-0034 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.8) affecting sudo, esx. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

parse.c in sudo 1.6.9p17 through 1.6.9p19 does not properly interpret a system group (aka %group) in the sudoers file during authorization decisions for a user who belongs to that group, which allows local users to leverage an applicable sudoers file and gain root privileges via a sudo command.

Why this priority

High severity

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.8 (High)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	Low
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.4% (top 65%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-863
Published	2009-01-30
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): Red Hat, Inc. · Vendor: gratisoft · vmware

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2009-01-30 19:30 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 23:04 UTCUpdated Record last modified

gratisoft sudo MITIGATE

Affected: 1.6.9 p17 · 1.6.9 p18 · 1.6.9 p19

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy sudo || rpm -q sudo || sudo --version

No fixed or unaffected release known

Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory, disable the affected feature, or restrict network access.

Downgrade not recommended

This is a core system component: downgrading can break the OS. Apply the distro update or the vendor mitigation.

vmware esx MITIGATE

Affected: 4.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.0

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2009-0034?

sudo: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; esx: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2009-0034 being exploited?

CVE-2009-0034 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2009-0034 affect?

CVE-2009-0034 affects sudo, esx. Severity is high (CVSS 7.8). parse.c in sudo 1.6.9p17 through 1.6.9p19 does not properly interpret a system group (aka %group) in the sudoers file during authorization decisions for a user who belongs to that group, which allows local users to leverage an applicable su

How urgent is CVE-2009-0034?

Priority 36/100. High severity

Software pages

VMware vulnerabilities · Sudo vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-35535 HIGH 7.4 UPGRADE UPGRADE In Sudo through 1.9.17p2 before 3e474c2, a failure of a setuid, setgid, or setgroups call, during a privilege
CVE-2025-32462 LOW 2.8 UPGRADE Sudo before 1.9.17p1, when used with a sudoers file that specifies a host that is neither the current host nor
CVE-2025-46718 LOW 3.3 UPGRADE sudo-rs is a memory safe implementation of sudo and su written in Rust
CVE-2025-46717 LOW 3.3 UPGRADE sudo-rs is a memory safe implementation of sudo and su written in Rust
CVE-2025-32463 CRITICAL 9.3 EXPLOITED UPGRADE MITIGATE Sudo Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere Vulnerability

References

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