CRITICAL
CVE-2009-1491
CWE-20Published: May 5, 2009· Updated: Jun 16, 2026
9.3
CVSS v3.1
Official Description
McAfee GroupShield for Microsoft Exchange on Exchange Server 2000, and possibly other anti-virus or anti-spam products from McAfee or other vendors, does not scan X- headers for malicious content, which allows remote attackers to bypass virus detection via a crafted message, as demonstrated by a message with an X-Testing header and no message body.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2009-1491 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Exploitability
Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityM
Privileges Req.
User Interaction
Scope
Impact
ConfidentialityC
IntegrityC
AvailabilityC
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.
All References (4)
Quick Facts
CVE IDCVE-2009-1491
CVSS Score9.3 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-20
CISA KEVNo
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedMay 5, 2009
Related CVEs (CWE-20)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2009-1491 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.