CVE-2002-0896: The throttle capability in Swatch may fail to report certain events if (1) the same type of event occurs after

Routine

MEDIUM 5.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2002-0896 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting swatch. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The throttle capability in Swatch may fail to report certain events if (1) the same type of event occurs after the throttle period, or (2) when multiple events matching the same "watchfor" expression do not occur after the throttle period, which could allow attackers to avoid detection.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	1.4% (top 28%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2002-10-04
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: swatch

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2002-10-04 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 21:58 UTCUpdated Record last modified

swatch swatch DOWNGRADE

Affected: 3.0.3 · 3.0.4

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 3.0.3

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 3.0.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison swatch sudo apt install swatch=<VERSION_BEFORE_3.0.3> sudo apt-mark hold swatch

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

dnf --showduplicates list swatch sudo dnf downgrade swatch-<VERSION_BEFORE_3.0.3> sudo dnf versionlock add swatch

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-2002-0896?

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

Is CVE-2002-0896 being exploited?

CVE-2002-0896 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-2002-0896 affect?

CVE-2002-0896 affects swatch. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). The throttle capability in Swatch may fail to report certain events if (1) the same type of event occurs after the throttle period, or (2) when multiple events matching the same "watchfor" expression do not occur after the throttle period,

How urgent is CVE-2002-0896?

Priority 36/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

References

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