CVE-2005-4158
NVD-CWE-OtherPublished: December 11, 2005· Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Official Description
Sudo before 1.6.8 p12, when the Perl taint flag is off, does not clear the (1) PERLLIB, (2) PERL5LIB, and (3) PERL5OPT environment variables, which allows limited local users to cause a Perl script to include and execute arbitrary library files that have the same name as library files that are included by the script.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2005-4158 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2005-4158. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (38)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (NVD-CWE-Other)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2005-4158 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts