CVE-2003-0429: The OSI dissector in Ethereal 0.9.12 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and poss

Q: How do I fix CVE-2003-0429?

ethereal: upgrade to newer than 0.9.12. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2003-0429 being exploited?

CVE-2003-0429 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2003-0429 affect?

CVE-2003-0429 affects ethereal. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). The OSI dissector in Ethereal 0.9.12 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via invalid IPv4 or IPv6 prefix lengths, possibly triggering a buffer overflow.

Q: How urgent is CVE-2003-0429?

Priority 49/100. High severity; EPSS top 8%: very likely to be exploited

This month

HIGH 7.5UPGRADE

CVE-2003-0429 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting ethereal. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The OSI dissector in Ethereal 0.9.12 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via invalid IPv4 or IPv6 prefix lengths, possibly triggering a buffer overflow.

Why this priority

High severity
EPSS top 8%: very likely to be exploited

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	4.8% (top 8%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2003-07-24
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: ethereal group

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2003-07-24 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:02 UTCUpdated Record last modified

ethereal group ethereal UPGRADE

Affected: <= 0.9.12

Fixed in: newer than 0.9.12

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

2. UPGRADE to newer than 0.9.12 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade ethereal

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade ethereal

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

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-2003-0429?

ethereal: upgrade to newer than 0.9.12. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2003-0429 being exploited?

CVE-2003-0429 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-2003-0429 affect?

CVE-2003-0429 affects ethereal. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). The OSI dissector in Ethereal 0.9.12 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via invalid IPv4 or IPv6 prefix lengths, possibly triggering a buffer overflow.

How urgent is CVE-2003-0429?

Priority 49/100. High severity; EPSS top 8%: very likely to be exploited

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References

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