Heap-based buffer overflow in smtp_in.c for Exim 3 (exim3) before 3.36 and Exim 4 (exim4)…
Priority MEDIUM 41Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- — Not recorded in CVSS 2.0
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Partial · Partial · Partial
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 2.0 · NVD. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
Heap-based buffer overflow in smtp_in.c for Exim 3 (exim3) before 3.36 and Exim 4 (exim4) before 4.21 may allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an invalid (1) HELO or (2) EHLO argument with a large number of spaces followed by a NULL character and a newline, which is not properly trimmed before the "(no argument given)" string is appended to the buffer.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.0565 93rd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix No fix listed No fixed version in the sources yet
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 · 25
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.0 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.3 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.3.1 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.3.2 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.11 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.12 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.13 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.14 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.15 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.16 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.0 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.3 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.3.1 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.3.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.3.2 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.11 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.12:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.12 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.13 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.14 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.15:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.15 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.16:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.16 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
Show 15 more CPE
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.17 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.18 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.19 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.20 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.21:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.21 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.22:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.22 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.30:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.30 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.31:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.31 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.32:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.32 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.33:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.33 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.34:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.34 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.35:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.35 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.36:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.36 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:4.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.10 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
| cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:4.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.20 | Vulnerable | University of Cambridge |
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.17 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.18:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.18 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.19:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.19 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.20 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.21:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.21 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.22:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.22 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.30:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.30 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.31:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.31 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.32:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.32 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.33:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.33 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.34:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.34 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.35:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.35 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:3.36:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.36 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:4.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.10 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
- cpe:2.3:a:university_of_cambridge:exim:4.20:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.20 Vulnerable ·University of Cambridge
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2003-0743
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-gjpp-m73q-mp4j
References
Patch 1
Advisory 1
Other 7
- [Exim] 20030814 Minor security bug
- http://www.exim.org/pipermail/exim-announce/2003q3/000094.html
- 20030901 exim remote heap overflow, probably not exploitable
- 20030903 Re: exim remote heap overflow, probably not exploitable
- [Exim] 20030815 Minor security bug
- http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/e/exim/exim_3.36-13/changelog
- http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/e/exim4/exim4_4.34-10/changelog
More University of Cambridge Exim vulnerabilities
- TI-2004-00365 Stack-based buffer overflow in Exim 3.35, and other versions before 4, when the… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2001-00663 Format string vulnerability in exim (3.22-10 in Red Hat, 3.12 in Debian and 3.16 in… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2004-00366 Stack-based buffer overflow in Exim 4 before 4.33, when the headers_check_syntax option… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2001-00846 Exim 3.22 and earlier, in some configurations, does not properly verify the local part of… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.5
- TI-2005-00021 Multiple buffer overflows in Exim before 4.43 may allow attackers to execute arbitrary… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.2
- TI-2002-01304 Format string vulnerability in daemon.c for Exim 4.x through 4.10, and 3.x through 3.36… CVSS 2.0HIGH 7.2
Sources
- CVE-2003-0743 · CVE Program
- CVE-2003-0743 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-gjpp-m73q-mp4j · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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