man before 1.5l allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed man file with…
Priority LOW 24Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- — Not recorded in CVSS 2.0
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Partial · Partial · Partial
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 2.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
man before 1.5l allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed man file with improper quotes, which causes the my_xsprintf function to return a string with the value "unsafe," which is then executed as a program via a system call if it is in the search path of the user who runs man.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.01513 74th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Red Hat: 2 advisories
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 5
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5h1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 1.5h1 | Vulnerable | Andries Brouwer |
| cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5i:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 1.5i | Vulnerable | Andries Brouwer |
| cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5i2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 1.5i2 | Vulnerable | Andries Brouwer |
| cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5j:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 1.5j | Vulnerable | Andries Brouwer |
| cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5k:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 1.5k | Vulnerable | Andries Brouwer |
- cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5h1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.5h1 Vulnerable ·Andries Brouwer
- cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5i:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.5i Vulnerable ·Andries Brouwer
- cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5i2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.5i2 Vulnerable ·Andries Brouwer
- cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5j:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.5j Vulnerable ·Andries Brouwer
- cpe:2.3:a:andries_brouwer:man:1.5k:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 1.5k Vulnerable ·Andries Brouwer
Remediation
Red Hat 2 advisories
- RHSA-2003:133 Released 2003-05-01 · Red Hat rating Low: Updated man packages fix minor vulnerability
- Red Hat Linux 7.1
- Red Hat Linux 7.2
- Red Hat Linux 7.3
- Red Hat Linux 8.0
- RHSA-2003:134 Released 2003-04-28 · Red Hat rating Lowman security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (Advanced Server) version 2.1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES version 2.1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS version 2.1
- Red Hat Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS (Advanced Server) version 2.1 | Fixed | RHSA-2003:134 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES version 2.1 | Fixed | RHSA-2003:134 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS version 2.1 | Fixed | RHSA-2003:134 |
| Red Hat Linux 7.1 | Fixed | RHSA-2003:133 |
| Red Hat Linux 7.2 | Fixed | RHSA-2003:133 |
| Red Hat Linux 7.3 | Fixed | RHSA-2003:133 |
| Red Hat Linux 8.0 | Fixed | RHSA-2003:133 |
| Red Hat Linux Advanced Workstation 2.1 | Fixed | RHSA-2003:134 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2003-0124
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-g437-46q6-xq6v
References
More Andries Brouwer Man vulnerabilities
- TI-2003-00602 man-db 2.3.12 and 2.3.18 to 2.4.1 uses certain user-controlled DEFINE directives from the… CVSS 2.0MEDIUM 4.6
- TI-2003-00577 Multiple buffer overflows in man-db 2.4.1 and earlier, when installed setuid, allow local… CVSS 2.0MEDIUM 4.6
Sources
- CVE-2003-0124 · CVE Program
- CVE-2003-0124 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-g437-46q6-xq6v · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2003-0124 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences