CVE-2008-5038
CWE-416Published: November 12, 2008· Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Official Description
Use-after-free vulnerability in the NetWare Core Protocol (NCP) feature in Novell eDirectory 8.7.3 SP10 before 8.7.3 SP10 FTF1 and 8.8 SP2 for Windows allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via a sequence of "Get NCP Extension Information By Name" requests that cause one thread to operate on memory after it has been freed in another thread, which triggers memory corruption, aka Novell Bug 373852.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2008-5038 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-416): Use-after-free vulnerabilities involve accessing memory after it has been freed, often enabling arbitrary code execution.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (20)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-416)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2008-5038 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts