CVE-2002-1594: Buffer overflow in (1) grpck and (2) pwck, if installed setuid on a system as recommended in some AIX document

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HIGH 7.2MITIGATEMITIGATE

CVE-2002-1594 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.2) affecting grpck, pwck. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Buffer overflow in (1) grpck and (2) pwck, if installed setuid on a system as recommended in some AIX documentation, may allow local users to gain privileges via a long command line argument.

Why this priority

High severity

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.2 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	1.0% (top 38%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2002-01-02
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: grpck · pwck

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2002-01-02 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 21:59 UTCUpdated Record last modified

grpck grpck MITIGATE

Affected: all versions

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

No fixed or unaffected release known

Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory, disable the affected feature, or restrict network access.

pwck pwck MITIGATE

Affected: all versions

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

No fixed or unaffected release known

Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory, disable the affected feature, or restrict network access.

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-2002-1594?

grpck: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation; pwck: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2002-1594 being exploited?

CVE-2002-1594 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-2002-1594 affect?

CVE-2002-1594 affects grpck, pwck. Severity is high (CVSS 7.2). Buffer overflow in (1) grpck and (2) pwck, if installed setuid on a system as recommended in some AIX documentation, may allow local users to gain privileges via a long command line argument.

How urgent is CVE-2002-1594?

Priority 41/100. High severity

References

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