How severe is CVE-2004-0603?

CVE-2004-0603 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0, rated critical severity.

Is CVE-2004-0603 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2004-0603?

CVE-2004-0603 affects Gnu Gzip. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2004-0603?

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-2004-0603 published?

CVE-2004-0603 was published on 2004-12-06 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2004-0603

CVE-2004-0603 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Gnu Gzip with a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 2.0 base score 10.0)
EPSS exploit prediction: 3% (86th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Affected product: Gnu Gzip
Published: 2004-12-06
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

gzexe in gzip 1.3.3 and earlier will execute an argument when the creation of a temp file fails instead of exiting the program, which could allow remote attackers or local users to execute arbitrary commands, a different vulnerability than CVE-1999-1332.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2004-0603?: gzexe in gzip 1.3.3 and earlier will execute an argument when the creation of a temp file fails instead of exiting the program, which could allow remote attackers or local users to execute arbitrary commands, a different vulnerability than CVE-1999-1332.
How severe is CVE-2004-0603?: CVE-2004-0603 has a CVSS 2.0 base score of 10.0, rated critical severity.
Is CVE-2004-0603 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 3% (86th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2004-0603?: CVE-2004-0603 affects Gnu Gzip. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2004-0603?: 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-2004-0603 published?: CVE-2004-0603 was published on 2004-12-06 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:gnu:gzip:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Gnu Gzip

CVE-2022-1271 — High (CVSS 8.8): An arbitrary file write vulnerability was found in GNU gzip's zgrep utility. When zgrep is applied on the attacker's…
CVE-2026-41992 — High (CVSS 7.5): GNU gzip contains a global buffer overflow vulnerability in the LZH decompression logic caused by improper reuse of…
CVE-2001-1228 — High (CVSS 7.5): Buffer overflows in gzip 1.3x, 1.2.4, and other versions might allow attackers to execute code via a long file name,…
CVE-2010-0001 — Medium (CVSS 6.8): Integer underflow in the unlzw function in unlzw.c in gzip before 1.4 on 64-bit platforms, as used in ncompress and…
CVE-2009-2624 — Medium (CVSS 6.8): The huft_build function in inflate.c in gzip before 1.3.13 creates a hufts (aka huffman) table that is too small, which…
CVE-2005-1228 — Medium (CVSS 5.0): Directory traversal vulnerability in gunzip -N in gzip 1.2.4 through 1.3.5 allows remote attackers to write to…

All CVEs affecting Gnu Gzip →