CVE-2002-0423: Buffer overflow in efingerd 1.5 and earlier, and possibly up to 1.61, allows remote attackers to cause a denia

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HIGH 10.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2002-0423 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 10.0) affecting efingerd. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Buffer overflow in efingerd 1.5 and earlier, and possibly up to 1.61, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via a finger request from an IP address with a long hostname that is obtained via a reverse DNS lookup.

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 7%: very likely to be exploited

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	10.0 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	5.3% (top 7%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2002-08-12
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: efingerd

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2002-08-12 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 21:57 UTCUpdated Record last modified

efingerd efingerd DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.3 · 1.6.1

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.3

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison efingerd sudo apt install efingerd=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.3> sudo apt-mark hold efingerd

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

dnf --showduplicates list efingerd sudo dnf downgrade efingerd-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.3> sudo dnf versionlock add efingerd

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-2002-0423?

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

Is CVE-2002-0423 being exploited?

CVE-2002-0423 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-2002-0423 affect?

CVE-2002-0423 affects efingerd. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). Buffer overflow in efingerd 1.5 and earlier, and possibly up to 1.61, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via a finger request from an IP address with a long hostname that is obtained via

How urgent is CVE-2002-0423?

Priority 58/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 7%: very likely to be exploited

Related CVEs

CVE-2002-0424 MEDIUM 4.6 DOWNGRADE efingerd 1.61 and earlier, when configured without the -u option, executes .efingerd files as the efingerd use

References

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