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NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

CVE-2003-0694: The prescan function in Sendmail 8.12.9 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via buffer overflow attacks, as demonstrated using…

CriticalCVSS 10.0 · v2.0—Weaponized Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: This week (action score 60/100)

  • A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 66.1% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 99.2% of all records.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: sendmail (Debian:12) 8.12.10-1; sendmail (Debian:3.0) 8.12.3-6.6; sendmail-wide (Debian:3.0) 8.12.3+3.5Wbeta-5.5.

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window. Upgrade to sendmail (Debian:12) 8.12.10-1; sendmail (Debian:3.0) 8.12.3-6.6; sendmail-wide (Debian:3.0) 8.12.3+3.5Wbeta-5.5 or later.

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

The prescan function in Sendmail 8.12.9 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via buffer overflow attacks, as demonstrated using the parseaddr function in parseaddr.c.

Published
Oct 6, 2003
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
66.1% · 99th percentile
CWE
—

Report tools

JSON

Action score

60

This week

Don’t wait for the next maintenance window.

CVSS
40 / 40 · 10.0 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
20 / 30 · 66.1%

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • Weaponized exploit exists
  • A fix has been released

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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
sendmailadvanced message server
sendmailsendmail
sendmailsendmail pro
sendmailsendmail switch
sgiirix
applemac os x
applemac os x server
compaqtru64
freebsdfreebsd
gentoolinux
hphp-ux
ibmaix

and 6 more

Affected versions

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

  • apple mac os x10.2
  • apple mac os x10.2.1
  • apple mac os x10.2.2
  • apple mac os x10.2.3
  • apple mac os x10.2.4
  • apple mac os x10.2.5
  • apple mac os x10.2.6
  • apple mac os x server10.2
+12 more rows
  • apple mac os x server10.2.1
  • apple mac os x server10.2.2
  • apple mac os x server10.2.3
  • apple mac os x server10.2.4
  • apple mac os x server10.2.5
  • apple mac os x server10.2.6
  • compaq tru644.0f
  • compaq tru644.0f_pk6_bl17
  • compaq tru644.0f_pk7_bl18
  • compaq tru644.0f_pk8_bl22
  • compaq tru644.0g
  • compaq tru644.0g_pk3_bl17

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12sendmailbefore 8.12.10-18.12.10-1
Debian:3.0sendmailbefore 8.12.3-6.68.12.3-6.6
Debian:3.0sendmail-widebefore 8.12.3+3.5Wbeta-5.58.12.3+3.5Wbeta-5.5

Same product

sendmail: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2003-0681A "potential buffer overflow in ruleset parsing" for Sendmail 8.12.9, when using the nonstandard rulesets (1) recipient (2), final, or (3)…
    37Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

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

Product / packageFixed versionSource
debian:sendmail8.12.10-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
debian:sendmail-wide8.12.3+3.5Wbeta-5.5 · Debian:3.0Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

Weaponized

A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.

Evidence

  • Metasploit module ×1

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.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Metasploit moduleauxiliary/dos/smtp/sendmail_prescanSendmail SMTP Address prescan Memory Corruptionauxiliary2003-09-17

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.

  1. Metasploit-19 d
  2. Published
  3. TodayNov 15, 2026+8441 d
EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Not on record for this CVE: 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)

—

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.

References

Show all references (17 more)

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

All records