CVE-2003-0021: The "screen dump" feature in Eterm 0.9.1 and earlier allows attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a certa

Routine

MEDIUM 5.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2003-0021 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting eterm. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The "screen dump" feature in Eterm 0.9.1 and earlier allows attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a certain character escape sequence when it is echoed to a user's terminal, e.g. when the user views a file containing the malicious sequence.

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	1.2% (top 31%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2003-03-03
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: michael jennings

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2003-03-03 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:01 UTCUpdated Record last modified

michael jennings eterm DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.8.10 · 0.9.1

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.8.10

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.8.10 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison eterm sudo apt install eterm=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.8.10> sudo apt-mark hold eterm

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

dnf --showduplicates list eterm sudo dnf downgrade eterm-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.8.10> sudo dnf versionlock add eterm

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-2003-0021?

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

Is CVE-2003-0021 being exploited?

CVE-2003-0021 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-2003-0021 affect?

CVE-2003-0021 affects eterm. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). The "screen dump" feature in Eterm 0.9.1 and earlier allows attackers to overwrite arbitrary files via a certain character escape sequence when it is echoed to a user's terminal, e.g. when the user views a file containing the malicious sequ

How urgent is CVE-2003-0021?

Priority 35/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Related CVEs

CVE-2021-33477 HIGH 8.8 DOWNGRADE DOWNGRADE rxvt-unicode 9.22, rxvt 2.7.10, mrxvt 0.5.4, and Eterm 0.9.7 allow (potentially remote) code execution because
CVE-2008-1692 MEDIUM 6.9 DOWNGRADE Eterm 0.9.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if -display is not specified and the DISPLAY environment variable is
CVE-2008-1142 LOW 3.7 UPGRADE UPGRADE rxvt 2.6.4 opens a terminal window on :0 if the DISPLAY environment variable is not set, which might allow loc
CVE-2003-0382 MEDIUM 4.6 DOWNGRADE MITIGATE Buffer overflow in Eterm 0.9.2 allows local users to gain privileges via a long ETERMPATH environment variable
CVE-2003-0068 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE The Eterm terminal emulator 0.9.1 and earlier allows attackers to modify the window title via a certain charac

References

← Back to latest CVEs