CVE-2009-0249: Katy Whitton RankEm stores sensitive information under the web root with insufficient access control, which al

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MEDIUM 5.0MITIGATE

CVE-2009-0249 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting rankem. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Katy Whitton RankEm stores sensitive information under the web root with insufficient access control, which allows remote attackers to download a database containing credentials via a direct request for database/topsites.mdb.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	2.3% (top 17%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-264
Published	2009-01-22
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: katywhitton

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2009-01-22 16:30 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 23:04 UTCUpdated Record last modified

katywhitton rankem MITIGATE

Affected: all versions

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

No fixed or unaffected release known

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

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: Rankem - File Disclosure / Cross-Site Scripting / Cookie

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-2009-0249?

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

Is CVE-2009-0249 being exploited?

CVE-2009-0249 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-2009-0249 affect?

CVE-2009-0249 affects rankem. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). Katy Whitton RankEm stores sensitive information under the web root with insufficient access control, which allows remote attackers to download a database containing credentials via a direct request for database/topsites.mdb.

How urgent is CVE-2009-0249?

Priority 43/100. Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2009-0248 MEDIUM 4.3 MITIGATE Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in rankup.asp in Katy Whitton RankEm allows remote attackers to injec
CVE-2008-5589 HIGH 7.5 MITIGATE SQL injection vulnerability in processlogin.asp in Katy Whitton RankEm allows remote attackers to execute arbi
CVE-2008-5588 HIGH 7.5 MITIGATE SQL injection vulnerability in rankup.asp in Katy Whitton RankEm allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary

References

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