CVE-2003-0124: man before 1.5l allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed man file with improper quotes, whic

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MEDIUM 4.6DOWNGRADE

CVE-2003-0124 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 4.6) affecting man. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

man before 1.5l allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed man file with improper quotes, which causes the my_xsprintf function to return a string with the value "unsafe," which is then executed as a program via a system call if it is in the search path of the user who runs man.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	4.6 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	1.5% (top 26%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2003-03-18
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: andries brouwer

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2003-03-18 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:01 UTCUpdated Record last modified

andries brouwer man DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.5h1 · 1.5i · 1.5i2 · 1.5j · 1.5k

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.5h1

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.5h1 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison man sudo apt install man=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.5h1> sudo apt-mark hold man

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

dnf --showduplicates list man sudo dnf downgrade man-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.5h1> sudo dnf versionlock add man

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.

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: Man Program 1.5 - Unsafe Return Value Command Execution

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-2003-0124?

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

Is CVE-2003-0124 being exploited?

CVE-2003-0124 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-2003-0124 affect?

CVE-2003-0124 affects man. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.6). man before 1.5l allows attackers to execute arbitrary code via a malformed man file with improper quotes, which causes the my_xsprintf function to return a string with the value "unsafe," which is then executed as a program via a system cal

How urgent is CVE-2003-0124?

Priority 40/100. Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2003-0645 MEDIUM 4.6 DOWNGRADE man-db 2.3.12 and 2.3.18 to 2.4.1 uses certain user-controlled DEFINE directives from the ~/.manpath file, eve
CVE-2003-0620 MEDIUM 4.6 DOWNGRADE Multiple buffer overflows in man-db 2.4.1 and earlier, when installed setuid, allow local users to gain privil

References

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