CVE-2001-1442: Buffer overflow in innfeed for ISC InterNetNews (INN) before 2.3.0 allows local users in the "news" group to g

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MEDIUM 4.6DOWNGRADE

CVE-2001-1442 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 4.6) affecting inn. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Buffer overflow in innfeed for ISC InterNetNews (INN) before 2.3.0 allows local users in the "news" group to gain privileges via a long -c command line argument.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	4.6 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	1.9% (top 20%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2001-04-21
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: isc

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2001-04-21 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 21:56 UTCUpdated Record last modified

isc inn DOWNGRADE

Affected: 2.0 · 2.1 · 2.2 · 2.2.1 · 2.2.2 · 2.2.3

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 2.0

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 2.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison inn sudo apt install inn=<VERSION_BEFORE_2.0> sudo apt-mark hold inn

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

dnf --showduplicates list inn sudo dnf downgrade inn-<VERSION_BEFORE_2.0> sudo dnf versionlock add inn

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.

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: ISC INN 2.x - Command-Line Buffer Overflow (1)
Exploit-DB: ISC INN 2.x - Command-Line Buffer Overflow (2)

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-2001-1442?

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

Is CVE-2001-1442 being exploited?

CVE-2001-1442 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-2001-1442 affect?

CVE-2001-1442 affects inn. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.6). Buffer overflow in innfeed for ISC InterNetNews (INN) before 2.3.0 allows local users in the "news" group to gain privileges via a long -c command line argument.

How urgent is CVE-2001-1442?

Priority 41/100. Public exploit reference

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CVE-2012-3523 MEDIUM 6.8 UPGRADE The STARTTLS implementation in nnrpd in INN before 2.5.3 does not properly restrict I/O buffering, which allow
CVE-2004-0045 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE Buffer overflow in the ARTpost function in art.c in the control message handling code for INN 2.4.0 may allow
CVE-2002-0526 HIGH 7.2 UPGRADE Vulnerability in (1) inews or (2) rnews for INN 2.2.3 and earlier, related to insecure open() calls.

References

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