CVE-2002-0741: psyBNC 2.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption and resource exhaustion) by s

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MEDIUM 5.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2002-0741 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting psybnc. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

psyBNC 2.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption and resource exhaustion) by sending a PASS command with a long password argument and quickly killing the connection, which is not properly terminated by psyBNC.

Why this priority

EPSS top 5%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	8.0% (top 5%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2002-08-12
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: psychoid

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 21:58 UTCUpdated Record last modified

psychoid psybnc DOWNGRADE

Affected: 2.3

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 2.3

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 2.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison psybnc sudo apt install psybnc=<VERSION_BEFORE_2.3> sudo apt-mark hold psybnc

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

dnf --showduplicates list psybnc sudo dnf downgrade psybnc-<VERSION_BEFORE_2.3> sudo dnf versionlock add psybnc

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: psyBNC 2.3 - Denial of Service
Exploit-DB: psyBNC 2.3 - Oversized Passwords Denial of Service

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-2002-0741?

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

Is CVE-2002-0741 being exploited?

CVE-2002-0741 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-2002-0741 affect?

CVE-2002-0741 affects psybnc. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). psyBNC 2.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption and resource exhaustion) by sending a PASS command with a long password argument and quickly killing the connection, which is not properly terminated by psyBNC

How urgent is CVE-2002-0741?

Priority 46/100. EPSS top 5%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2002-0197 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE psyBNC 2.3 beta and earlier allows remote attackers to spoof encrypted, trusted messages by sending lines that

References

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