CVE-2002-0821: Buffer overflows in Ethereal 0.9.4 and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute

Q: How do I fix CVE-2002-0821?

ethereal: upgrade to newer than 0.9.4. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2002-0821 being exploited?

CVE-2002-0821 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2002-0821 affect?

CVE-2002-0821 affects ethereal. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). Buffer overflows in Ethereal 0.9.4 and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code via (1) the BGP dissector, or (2) the WCP dissector.

This month

HIGH 7.5UPGRADE

CVE-2002-0821 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting ethereal. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Buffer overflows in Ethereal 0.9.4 and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code via (1) the BGP dissector, or (2) the WCP dissector.

Why this priority

High severity

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	2.8% (top 14%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2002-08-12
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: ethereal group

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

ethereal group ethereal UPGRADE

Affected: <= 0.9.4

Fixed in: newer than 0.9.4

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

2. UPGRADE to newer than 0.9.4 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade ethereal

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade ethereal

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

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-2002-0821?

ethereal: upgrade to newer than 0.9.4. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2002-0821 being exploited?

CVE-2002-0821 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-2002-0821 affect?

CVE-2002-0821 affects ethereal. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). Buffer overflows in Ethereal 0.9.4 and earlier allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code via (1) the BGP dissector, or (2) the WCP dissector.

How urgent is CVE-2002-0821?

Priority 48/100. High severity

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References

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