CVE-2002-1581: Directory traversal vulnerability in nph-mr.cgi in Mailreader.com 2.3.20 through 2.3.31 allows remote attacker

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MEDIUM 5.0WATCHLISTDOWNGRADEMITIGATE

CVE-2002-1581 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting mailreader.com, debian linux. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Directory traversal vulnerability in nph-mr.cgi in Mailreader.com 2.3.20 through 2.3.31 allows remote attackers to view arbitrary files via .. (dot dot) sequences and a null byte (%00) in the configLanguage parameter.

Why this priority

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

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	7.6% (top 5%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2004-12-06
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: debian · mailreader.com

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2004-12-06 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 21:59 UTCUpdated Record last modified

mailreader.com mailreader.com DOWNGRADE

Affected: 2.3.20 · 2.3.21 · 2.3.22 · 2.3.23 · 2.3.24 · 2.3.25 · 2.3.26 · 2.3.27

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 2.3.20

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy mailreader.com || rpm -q mailreader.com || mailreader.com --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 2.3.20 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison mailreader.com sudo apt install mailreader.com=<VERSION_BEFORE_2.3.20> sudo apt-mark hold mailreader.com

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

dnf --showduplicates list mailreader.com sudo dnf downgrade mailreader.com-<VERSION_BEFORE_2.3.20> sudo dnf versionlock add mailreader.com

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.

debian debian linux MITIGATE

Affected: 3.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 3.0

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

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: MailReader.com 2.3.x - 'NPH-MR.cgi' File Disclosure

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-2002-1581?

mailreader.com: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation; debian linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2002-1581 being exploited?

CVE-2002-1581 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-2002-1581 affect?

CVE-2002-1581 affects mailreader.com, debian linux. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). Directory traversal vulnerability in nph-mr.cgi in Mailreader.com 2.3.20 through 2.3.31 allows remote attackers to view arbitrary files via .. (dot dot) sequences and a null byte (%00) in the configLanguage parameter.

How urgent is CVE-2002-1581?

Priority 51/100. EPSS top 5%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference; On your watchlist

Software pages

Debian vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2005-0386 MEDIUM 4.3 DOWNGRADE Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in network.cgi in mailreader before 2.3.29 earlier allows remote atta
CVE-2002-1582 HIGH 10.0 DOWNGRADE compose.cgi in Mailreader.com 2.3.30 and 2.3.31, when using Sendmail as the Mail Transfer Agent, allows remote

References

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