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NVD / CVE Program· CNA redhat

CVE-2011-4601: family_feedbag.c in the oscar protocol plugin in libpurple in Pidgin before 2.10.1 does not perform the expected UTF-8 validation on message…

MediumCVSS 5.0 · v2.0—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 21/100)

  • 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: 4.5% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 91.6% of all records.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: pidgin (Debian:12) 2.10.1-1; finch (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as) 0:2.6.6-10.el4; finch-devel (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as) 0:2.6.6-10.el4.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to pidgin (Debian:12) 2.10.1-1; finch (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as) 0:2.6.6-10.el4; finch-devel (Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as) 0:2.6.6-10.el4 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

family_feedbag.c in the oscar protocol plugin in libpurple in Pidgin before 2.10.1 does not perform the expected UTF-8 validation on message data, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via a crafted (1) AIM or (2) ICQ message associated with buddy-list addition.

Published
Dec 24, 2011
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
4.5% · 91th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

21

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
20 / 40 · 5.0 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 4.5%

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  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

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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
pidginpidgin

Affected versions

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

  • pidgin pidginup to 2.10.0 inclusive
  • pidgin pidgin2.0.0
  • pidgin pidgin2.0.1
  • pidgin pidgin2.0.2
  • pidgin pidgin2.1.0
  • pidgin pidgin2.1.1
  • pidgin pidgin2.2.0
  • pidgin pidgin2.2.1
+12 more rows
  • pidgin pidgin2.2.2
  • pidgin pidgin2.3.0
  • pidgin pidgin2.3.1
  • pidgin pidgin2.4.0
  • pidgin pidgin2.4.1
  • pidgin pidgin2.4.2
  • pidgin pidgin2.4.3
  • pidgin pidgin2.5.0
  • pidgin pidgin2.5.1
  • pidgin pidgin2.5.2
  • pidgin pidgin2.5.3
  • pidgin pidgin2.5.4

Package-level exposure

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

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12pidginbefore 2.10.1-12.10.1-1
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asfinchbefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asfinch-develbefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpurplebefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpurple-develbefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpurple-perlbefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aslibpurple-tclbefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aspidginbefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aspidgin-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aspidgin-develbefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::aspidgin-perlbefore 0:2.6.6-10.el40:2.6.6-10.el4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientfinchbefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientlibpurplebefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientlibpurple-perlbefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientlibpurple-tclbefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientpidginbefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientpidgin-debuginfobefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::clientpidgin-perlbefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationfinch-develbefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationlibpurple-develbefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::client_workstationpidgin-develbefore 0:2.6.6-5.el5_7.40:2.6.6-5.el5_7.4
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientfinchbefore 0:2.7.9-3.el6.20:2.7.9-3.el6.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientfinch-develbefore 0:2.7.9-3.el6.20:2.7.9-3.el6.2
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientlibpurplebefore 0:2.7.9-3.el6.20:2.7.9-3.el6.2

+8

Same product

pidgin: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2009-2694The msn_slplink_process_msg function in libpurple/protocols/msn/slplink.c in libpurple, as used in Pidgin (formerly Gaim) before 2.5.9 and…
    46Plan
  • CVE-2013-6490The SIMPLE protocol functionality in Pidgin before 2.10.8 allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via a negative…
    44Plan
  • CVE-2017-2640An out-of-bounds write flaw was found in the way Pidgin before 2.12.0 processed XML content.
    41Plan

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2011-4602Dec 16, 2011 · The XMPP protocol plugin in libpurple in Pidgin before 2.10.1 does not properly handle missing fields in (1) voice-chat and (2) video-chat…
    21Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2011-4603Dec 16, 2011 · The silc_channel_message function in ops.c in the SILC protocol plugin in libpurple in Pidgin before 2.10.1 does not perform the expected…
    21Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2011-4939Mar 15, 2012 · The pidgin_conv_chat_rename_user function in gtkconv.c in Pidgin before 2.10.2 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (NULL…
    26Monitor

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:pidgin2.10.1-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)
red hat:finch0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:finch-devel0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libpurple0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libpurple-devel0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libpurple-perl0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:libpurple-tcl0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:pidgin0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:pidgin-debuginfo0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:pidgin-devel0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:pidgin-docs0:2.7.9-3.el6.2 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::clientPackage registry (OSV)
red hat:pidgin-perl0:2.6.6-10.el4 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::asPackage registry (OSV)

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.

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

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

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
P · the service can be disrupted
Attack complexity
Low
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
P

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-20 · Improper Input Validation

CVSS vector

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

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.

References

Show all references (12 more)

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

All records