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wordnet — security advisory

Type: advisorySources: OSVAdvisory ID: DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908

Multiple buffer overflows in Princeton WordNet (wn) 3.0 allow context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a long argument on the command line; a long (2) WNSEARCHDIR, (3) WNHOME, or (4) WNDBVERSION environment variable; or (5) a user-supplied dictionary (aka data file). NOTE: since WordNet itself does not run with special privileges, this issue only crosses privilege boundaries when WordNet is invoked as a third party component.

Products
wordnet
Affected versions
Not specified
Fixed versions
1:3.0-12
CVEs
CVE-2008-3908
Confirmed fixed CVEs
Not specified
Updated in this feed
31 Oct 2026, 22:58 UTC · Revision 1

Source evidence

DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908

core-osv · Original source

Published 4 Sept 2008, 17:41 UTC

Multiple buffer overflows in Princeton WordNet (wn) 3.0 allow context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a long argument on the command line; a long (2) WNSEARCHDIR, (3) WNHOME, or (4) WNDBVERSION environment variable; or (5) a user-supplied dictionary (aka data file). NOTE: since WordNet itself does not run with special privileges, this issue only crosses privilege boundaries when WordNet is invoked as a third party component.

osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908

wordnet

Fixed versions: 1:3.0-12

wordnet

Fixed versions: 1:3.0-12

wordnet

Fixed versions: 1:3.0-12

Complete source record
{
  "id": "0be4f8a450aeeeb0cca00eacb08f3d63c5e6b7e12b806315cf47c7785bb17c7b",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908",
    "summary": "Multiple buffer overflows in Princeton WordNet (wn) 3.0 allow context-dependent attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a long argument on the command line; a long (2) WNSEARCHDIR, (3) WNHOME, or (4) WNDBVERSION environment variable; or (5) a user-supplied dictionary (aka data file). NOTE: since WordNet itself does not run with special privileges, this issue only crosses privilege boundaries when WordNet is invoked as a third party component.",
    "evidence": "osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "wordnet",
          "evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1:3.0-12",
            "evidence": "/affected/0/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "wordnet",
          "evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1:3.0-12",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      },
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "wordnet",
          "evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "1:3.0-12",
            "evidence": "/affected/2/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      }
    ],
    "severity": "unknown",
    "structured": {
      "id": "DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908",
      "aliases": [
        "DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908"
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "1:3.0-12"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "wordnet",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/wordnet?arch=source&distro=bookworm",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:12"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "medium"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "1:3.0-12"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "wordnet",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/wordnet?arch=source&distro=trixie",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:13"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "medium"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "1:3.0-12"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "wordnet",
            "purl": "pkg:deb/debian/wordnet?arch=source&distro=forky",
            "ecosystem": "Debian:14"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3908.json"
          },
          "ecosystem_specific": {
            "urgency": "medium"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-23T17:47:31.058249951Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "upstream": [
        "CVE-2008-3908"
      ],
      "references": [
        "https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2008-3908"
      ]
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2008-3908",
        "evidence": "/upstream"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": null
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 417374,
  "published_at": "2008-09-04T17:41:00+00:00"
}