How severe is CVE-2002-2261?

CVE-2002-2261 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.5, rated high severity.

Is CVE-2002-2261 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2002-2261?

CVE-2002-2261 primarily affects Sendmail. In total, 28 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2002-2261?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

When was CVE-2002-2261 published?

CVE-2002-2261 was published on 2002-12-31 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2002-2261

CVE-2002-2261 is a high-severity vulnerability in Sendmail with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-264.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 2.0 base score 7.5)
EPSS exploit prediction: 2% (78th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-264
Affected product: Sendmail
Published: 2002-12-31
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Sendmail 8.9.0 through 8.12.6 allows remote attackers to bypass relaying restrictions enforced by the 'check_relay' function by spoofing a blank DNS hostname.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2002-2261?: Sendmail 8.9.0 through 8.12.6 allows remote attackers to bypass relaying restrictions enforced by the 'check_relay' function by spoofing a blank DNS hostname.
How severe is CVE-2002-2261?: CVE-2002-2261 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.5, rated high severity.
Is CVE-2002-2261 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 2% (78th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2002-2261?: CVE-2002-2261 primarily affects Sendmail. In total, 28 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2002-2261?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2002-2261 published?: CVE-2002-2261 was published on 2002-12-31 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (28)

cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.9.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.9.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.9.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.10.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.10.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.11.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.11.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.11.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.11.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.11.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.11.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.11.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12:beta10:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12:beta12:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12:beta16:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12:beta5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12:beta7:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:a:sendmail:sendmail:8.12.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Sendmail

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CVE-2006-0058 — High (CVSS 7.6): Signal handler race condition in Sendmail 8.13.x before 8.13.6 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by…
CVE-2009-4565 — High (CVSS 7.5): sendmail before 8.14.4 does not properly handle a '\0' character in a Common Name (CN) field of an X.509 certificate,…

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