CVE-2003-0161

CVE-2003-0161 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Sendmail with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 38% places it in the 98th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation.

Key facts

Description

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.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2003-0161?
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.
How severe is CVE-2003-0161?
CVE-2003-0161 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2003-0161 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 38% (98th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2003-0161?
CVE-2003-0161 primarily affects Sendmail. In total, 111 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2003-0161?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
When was CVE-2003-0161 published?
CVE-2003-0161 was published on 2003-04-02 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (111)

More vulnerabilities in Sendmail

All CVEs affecting Sendmail →