CVE-2001-1279: Buffer overflow in print-rx.c of tcpdump 3.x (probably 3.6x) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of serv

This month

HIGH 7.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2001-1279 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting tcpdump. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Buffer overflow in print-rx.c of tcpdump 3.x (probably 3.6x) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via AFS RPC packets with invalid lengths that trigger an integer signedness error, a different vulnerability than CVE-2000-1026.

Why this priority

High severity
EPSS top 8%: very likely to be exploited

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	4.8% (top 8%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2001-07-17
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: lbl

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2001-07-17 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 21:55 UTCUpdated Record last modified

lbl tcpdump DOWNGRADE

Affected: 3.6.2

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 3.6.2

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy tcpdump || rpm -q tcpdump || tcpdump --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 3.6.2 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison tcpdump sudo apt install tcpdump=<VERSION_BEFORE_3.6.2> sudo apt-mark hold tcpdump

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list tcpdump sudo dnf downgrade tcpdump-<VERSION_BEFORE_3.6.2> sudo dnf versionlock add tcpdump

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2001-1279?

tcpdump: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2001-1279 being exploited?

CVE-2001-1279 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2001-1279 affect?

CVE-2001-1279 affects tcpdump. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). Buffer overflow in print-rx.c of tcpdump 3.x (probably 3.6x) allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via AFS RPC packets with invalid lengths that trigger an integer signedness error, a diffe

How urgent is CVE-2001-1279?

Priority 49/100. High severity; EPSS top 8%: very likely to be exploited

Related CVEs

CVE-2018-16301 HIGH 7.8 UPGRADE The command-line argument parser in tcpdump before 4.99.0 has a buffer overflow in tcpdump.c:read_infile()
CVE-1999-1024 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE ip_print procedure in Tcpdump 3.4a allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a packet with a ze
CVE-2000-1026 HIGH 10.0 DOWNGRADE Multiple buffer overflows in LBNL tcpdump allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands.
CVE-2023-1801 MEDIUM 6.5 DOWNGRADE The SMB protocol decoder in tcpdump version 4.99.3 can perform an out-of-bounds write when decoding a crafted
CVE-2020-8037 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE MITIGATE The ppp decapsulator in tcpdump 4.9.3 can be convinced to allocate a large amount of memory.

References

← Back to latest CVEs