CVE-2003-0432: Ethereal 0.9.12 and earlier does not handle certain strings properly, with unknown consequences, in the (1) BG

Q: How do I fix CVE-2003-0432?

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

Q: Is CVE-2003-0432 being exploited?

CVE-2003-0432 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-2003-0432 affect?

CVE-2003-0432 affects ethereal. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). Ethereal 0.9.12 and earlier does not handle certain strings properly, with unknown consequences, in the (1) BGP, (2) WTP, (3) DNS, (4) 802.11, (5) ISAKMP, (6) WSP, (7) CLNP, (8) ISIS, and (9) RMI dissectors.

Q: How urgent is CVE-2003-0432?

Priority 56/100. Critical severity

This month

HIGH 10.0UPGRADE

CVE-2003-0432 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 10.0) affecting ethereal. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Ethereal 0.9.12 and earlier does not handle certain strings properly, with unknown consequences, in the (1) BGP, (2) WTP, (3) DNS, (4) 802.11, (5) ISAKMP, (6) WSP, (7) CLNP, (8) ISIS, and (9) RMI dissectors.

Why this priority

Critical severity

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	10.0 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	2.3% (top 17%)
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-2003-0432?

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

Is CVE-2003-0432 being exploited?

CVE-2003-0432 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-2003-0432 affect?

CVE-2003-0432 affects ethereal. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). Ethereal 0.9.12 and earlier does not handle certain strings properly, with unknown consequences, in the (1) BGP, (2) WTP, (3) DNS, (4) 802.11, (5) ISAKMP, (6) WSP, (7) CLNP, (8) ISIS, and (9) RMI dissectors.

How urgent is CVE-2003-0432?

Priority 56/100. Critical severity

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References

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