The (1) config.guess, (2) contrib/groffer/perl/groffer.pl, and (3) contrib/groffer/perl/roff2.pl scripts in GNU troff (aka groff) 1.21 and earlier use an insufficient number of X characters in the template argument to the tempfile function, which makes it easier for local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on a temporary file, a different vulnerability than CVE-2004-0969.

References

• https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-5081
• http://cvsweb.openwall.com/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/Owl/packages/groff/groff-1.20.1-owl-tmp.diff
• http://cvsweb.openwall.com/cgi/cvsweb.cgi/Owl/packages/groff/groff-1.20.1-owl-tmp.diff.diff?r1=1.1;r2=1.2;f=h
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/08/14/4
• http://openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2009/08/14/5
• http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2013:086