CVE-2003-1118: Buffer overflow in the SETI@home client 3.03 and other versions allows remote attackers to cause a denial of s

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HIGH 7.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2003-1118 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting seti at home. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Buffer overflow in the SETI@home client 3.03 and other versions allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (client crash) and execute arbitrary code via a spoofed server response containing a long string followed by a \n (newline) character.

Why this priority

High severity
EPSS top 3%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	18.2% (top 3%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2003-12-31
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: university of california

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2003-12-31 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:03 UTCUpdated Record last modified

university of california seti at home DOWNGRADE

Affected: 3.3 · 3.4 · 3.5 · 3.6 · 3.7

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 3.3

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy seti-at-home || rpm -q seti-at-home || seti-at-home --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 3.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison seti-at-home sudo apt install seti-at-home=<VERSION_BEFORE_3.3> sudo apt-mark hold seti-at-home

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

dnf --showduplicates list seti-at-home sudo dnf downgrade seti-at-home-<VERSION_BEFORE_3.3> sudo dnf versionlock add seti-at-home

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: SETI@home Clients - Remote Buffer Overflow

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-2003-1118?

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

Is CVE-2003-1118 being exploited?

CVE-2003-1118 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-2003-1118 affect?

CVE-2003-1118 affects seti at home. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). Buffer overflow in the SETI@home client 3.03 and other versions allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (client crash) and execute arbitrary code via a spoofed server response containing a long string followed by a \n (newline)

How urgent is CVE-2003-1118?

Priority 56/100. High severity; EPSS top 3%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2001-1553 MEDIUM 4.6 DOWNGRADE Buffer overflow in setiathome for SETI@home 3.03, if installed setuid, could allow local users to execute arbi

References

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