How severe is CVE-2003-1291?

CVE-2003-1291 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.2, rated high severity.

Is CVE-2003-1291 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (26th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2003-1291?

CVE-2003-1291 primarily affects Vmware Esx. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2003-1291?

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-2003-1291 published?

CVE-2003-1291 was published on 2003-12-31 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2003-1291

CVE-2003-1291 is a high-severity vulnerability in Vmware Esx with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.2. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 2.0 base score 7.2)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (26th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Vmware Esx
Published: 2003-12-31
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

VMware ESX Server 1.5.2 before Patch 4 allows local users to execute arbitrary programs as root via certain modified VMware ESX Server environment variables.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2003-1291?: VMware ESX Server 1.5.2 before Patch 4 allows local users to execute arbitrary programs as root via certain modified VMware ESX Server environment variables.
How severe is CVE-2003-1291?: CVE-2003-1291 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 7.2, rated high severity.
Is CVE-2003-1291 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (26th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2003-1291?: CVE-2003-1291 primarily affects Vmware Esx. In total, 3 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2003-1291?: 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-2003-1291 published?: CVE-2003-1291 was published on 2003-12-31 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (3)

cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx:1.5.2:patch1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx:1.5.2:patch2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:vmware:esx:1.5.2:patch3:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Vmware Esx

CVE-2013-1405 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): VMware vCenter Server 4.0 before Update 4b and 4.1 before Update 3a, VMware VirtualCenter 2.5, VMware vSphere Client…
CVE-2007-0063 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Integer underflow in the DHCP server in EMC VMware Workstation before 5.5.5 Build 56455 and 6.x before 6.0.1 Build…
CVE-2007-0061 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): The DHCP server in EMC VMware Workstation before 5.5.5 Build 56455 and 6.x before 6.0.1 Build 55017, Player before…
CVE-2012-1516 — Critical (CVSS 9.9): The VMX process in VMware ESXi 3.5 through 4.1 and ESX 3.5 through 4.1 does not properly handle RPC commands, which…
CVE-2014-7169 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): GNU Bash through 4.3 bash43-025 processes trailing strings after certain malformed function definitions in the values…
CVE-2014-6271 — Critical (CVSS 9.8): GNU Bash through 4.3 processes trailing strings after function definitions in the values of environment variables,…

All CVEs affecting Vmware Esx →