The prescan() function in the address parser (parseaddr.c) in Sendmail before 8.12.9 does not properly handle certain conversions from char
The prescan() function in the address parser (parseaddr.c) in Sendmail before 8.12.9 does not properly handle certain conversions from char and int types, which can cause a length check to be disabled when Sendmail misinterprets an input value as a special "NOCHAR" control value, allowing attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via a buffer overflow attack using messages, a different vulnerability than CVE-2002-1337.
- Published
- Apr 2, 2003
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 38.8% · 99th percentile
- CWE
- —
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Report tools
Action score
52
Plan
Add it to your regular patch cycle.
- CVSS
- 40 / 40 · 10.0 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 12 / 30 · 38.8%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| sendmail | sendmail | cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail |
| sendmail | sendmail switch | cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail_switch |
| compaq | tru64 | cpe:2.3:o:compaq:tru64 |
| hp | hp-ux | cpe:2.3:o:hp:hp-ux |
| hp | hp-ux series 700 | cpe:2.3:o:hp:hp-ux_series_700 |
| hp | hp-ux series 800 | cpe:2.3:o:hp:hp-ux_series_800 |
| hp | sis | cpe:2.3:o:hp:sis |
| sun | solaris | cpe:2.3:o:sun:solaris |
| sun | sunos | cpe:2.3:o:sun:sunos |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- compaq tru644.0b
- compaq tru644.0d
- compaq tru644.0d_pk9_bl17
- compaq tru644.0f
- compaq tru644.0f_pk6_bl17
- compaq tru644.0f_pk7_bl18
- compaq tru644.0g
- compaq tru644.0g_pk3_bl17
- compaq tru645.0
- compaq tru645.0_pk4_bl17
- compaq tru645.0_pk4_bl18
- compaq tru645.0a
- compaq tru645.0a_pk3_bl17
- compaq tru645.0f
- compaq tru645.1
- compaq tru645.1_pk3_bl17
- compaq tru645.1_pk4_bl18
- compaq tru645.1_pk5_bl19
- compaq tru645.1_pk6_bl20
- compaq tru645.1a
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian:12 | sendmail | before 8.12.9-1 | 8.12.9-1 |
| Debian:3.0 | sendmail | before 8.12.3-6.3 | 8.12.3-6.3 |
| Debian:3.0 | sendmail-wide | before 8.12.3+3.5Wbeta-5.4 | 8.12.3+3.5Wbeta-5.4 |
Same product
sendmail: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2002-1337Buffer overflow in Sendmail 5.79 to 8.12.7 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via certain formatted address fields, related t62This week
- CVE-2006-0058Signal handler race condition in Sendmail 8.13.x before 8.13.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by triggering timeouts in a39Monitor
- CVE-2009-4565sendmail before 8.14.4 does not properly handle a '\0' character in a Common Name (CN) field of an X.509 certificate, which (1) allows man-i31Monitor
- CVE-2006-4434Use-after-free vulnerability in Sendmail before 8.13.8 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via a long "header line"31Monitor
- CVE-2002-2261Sendmail 8.9.0 through 8.12.6 allows remote attackers to bypass relaying restrictions enforced by the 'check_relay' function by spoofing a b31Monitor
- CVE-2002-0906Buffer overflow in Sendmail before 8.12.5, when configured to use a custom DNS map to query TXT records, allows remote attackers to cause a 31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| debian:sendmail | 8.12.9-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:sendmail-wide | 8.12.3+3.5Wbeta-5.4 · Debian:3.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
Proof of concept available
A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.
Evidence
- Exploit-DB entry ×2
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Exploit-DB entry | remote | 2003-04-30 |
| Exploit-DB entry | local | 2003-03-29 |
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.
- First PoC-4 d
- Published
- TodaySep 30, 2026+8582 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
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)
—
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.
MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for helpChange log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- ftp://ftp.caldera.com/pub/security/OpenLinux/CSSA-2003-016.0.txt
- ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/CERT/advisories/FreeBSD-SA-03:07.sendmail.asc
- ftp://ftp.sco.com/pub/updates/OpenServer/SCOSA-2004.11/SCOSA-2004.11.txt
- ftp://patches.sgi.com/support/free/security/advisories/20030401-01-P
- distro.conectiva.com.br/atualizacoes/?id=a&anuncio=000614
- lists.apple.com/mhonarc/security-announce/msg00028.html
- lists.grok.org.uk/pipermail/full-disclosure/2003-March/004295.html
- marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=104896621106790&w=2
- marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=104897487512238&w=2
- marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=104914999806315&w=2
- sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-26-52620-1
- sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-26-52700-1
- sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-77-1001088.1-1
- www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2003-12.html
- www.debian.org/security/2003/dsa-278
- www.debian.org/security/2003/dsa-290
- www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200303-27.xml
- www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/897604
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-120.html
- www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2003-121.html
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.