CVE-2001-1553: Buffer overflow in setiathome for SETI@home 3.03, if installed setuid, could allow local users to execute arbi

Routine

MEDIUM 4.6DOWNGRADE

CVE-2001-1553 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 4.6) affecting seti at home. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Buffer overflow in setiathome for SETI@home 3.03, if installed setuid, could allow local users to execute arbitrary code via long command line options (1) socks_server, (2) socks_user, and (3) socks_passwd. NOTE: since the default configuration of setiathome is not setuid, perhaps this issue should not be included in CVE.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	4.6 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	0.4% (top 65%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2001-12-31
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: university of california

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2001-12-31 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 21:56 UTCUpdated Record last modified

university of california seti at home DOWNGRADE

Affected: 3.03

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 3.03

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy seti-at-home || rpm -q seti-at-home || seti-at-home --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 3.03 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison seti-at-home sudo apt install seti-at-home=<VERSION_BEFORE_3.03> sudo apt-mark hold seti-at-home

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

dnf --showduplicates list seti-at-home sudo dnf downgrade seti-at-home-<VERSION_BEFORE_3.03> sudo dnf versionlock add seti-at-home

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-2001-1553?

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

Is CVE-2001-1553 being exploited?

CVE-2001-1553 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-2001-1553 affect?

CVE-2001-1553 affects seti at home. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.6). Buffer overflow in setiathome for SETI@home 3.03, if installed setuid, could allow local users to execute arbitrary code via long command line options (1) socks_server, (2) socks_user, and (3) socks_passwd. NOTE: since the default configura

How urgent is CVE-2001-1553?

Priority 25/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Related CVEs

CVE-2003-1118 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE Buffer overflow in the SETI@home client 3.03 and other versions allows remote attackers to cause a denial of s

References

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