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NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2002-2248: Buffer overflow in the sun.awt.windows.WDefaultFontCharset Java class implementation in Netscape 4.0 allows remote attackers to execute…

CriticalCVSS 10.0 · v2.0—No exploit No fix recorded

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Plan (action score 42/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 5.7% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 93.2% of all records.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.

Add it to your regular patch cycle. Update when a fix is released; follow the vendor's advisory.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

Buffer overflow in the sun.awt.windows.WDefaultFontCharset Java class implementation in Netscape 4.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an applet that calls the WDefaultFontCharset constructor with a long string and invokes the canConvert method.

Published
Dec 31, 2002
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
5.7% · 93th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

42

Plan

Add it to your regular patch cycle.

CVSS
40 / 40 · 10.0 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
2 / 30 · 5.7%

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • No fixed version yet

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2002-2248

When you'll hear from us

  • when it enters CISA KEV
  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
netscapecommunicator

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • netscape communicator4.0
  • netscape communicator4.5
  • netscape communicator4.51
  • netscape communicator4.6
  • netscape communicator4.61
  • netscape communicator4.7
  • netscape communicator4.72
  • netscape communicator4.73
+6 more rows
  • netscape communicator4.74
  • netscape communicator4.75
  • netscape communicator4.76
  • netscape communicator4.77
  • netscape communicator4.78
  • netscape communicator4.79

Same product

netscape: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2000-0711Netscape Communicator does not properly prevent a ServerSocket object from being created by untrusted entities, which allows remote…
    40Plan
  • CVE-2001-0596Netscape Communicator before 4.77 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary Javascript via a GIF image whose comment contains the…
    33Monitor
  • CVE-1999-0537A configuration in a web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator allows execution of active content such as ActiveX, Java…
    32Monitor

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2002-1204Nov 29, 2002 · Netscape Communicator 4.x allows attackers to use a link to steal a user's preferences, including potentially sensitive information such as…
    20Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2002-1766Dec 31, 2002 · Buffer overflow in Composer in Netscape 4.77 allows local users to overwrite process memory and execute arbitrary code via a font tag with…
    18Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2002-2284Dec 31, 2002 · Netscape Communicator 4.0 through 4.79 allows remote attackers to bypass JVM security and execute arbitrary Java code via an applet that…
    26Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
C · data can be read
Integrity
C · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
C · the service can be disrupted
Attack complexity
Low
Confidentiality impact
C
Integrity impact
C
Availability impact
C

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-119 · Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

CVSS vector

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

References

Show all references (2 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records