CVE-2003-1154: MAILsweeper for SMTP 4.3 allows remote attackers to bypass virus protection via a mail message with a malforme

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HIGH 7.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2003-1154 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting mailsweeper. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

MAILsweeper for SMTP 4.3 allows remote attackers to bypass virus protection via a mail message with a malformed zip attachment, as exploited by certain MIMAIL virus variants.

Why this priority

High severity

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	1.7% (top 23%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2003-12-31
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: clearswift

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

clearswift mailsweeper DOWNGRADE

Affected: 4.0 · 4.1 · 4.2 · 4.3 · 4.3.3 · 4.3.4 · 4.3.5 · 4.3.6

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.0

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison mailsweeper sudo apt install mailsweeper=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0> sudo apt-mark hold mailsweeper

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

dnf --showduplicates list mailsweeper sudo dnf downgrade mailsweeper-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0> sudo dnf versionlock add mailsweeper

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-2003-1154?

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

Is CVE-2003-1154 being exploited?

CVE-2003-1154 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-2003-1154 affect?

CVE-2003-1154 affects mailsweeper. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). MAILsweeper for SMTP 4.3 allows remote attackers to bypass virus protection via a mail message with a malformed zip attachment, as exploited by certain MIMAIL virus variants.

How urgent is CVE-2003-1154?

Priority 45/100. High severity

Related CVEs

CVE-2004-2328 MEDIUM 5.0 DOWNGRADE Clearswift MAILsweeper for SMTP before 4.3_13 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (infinite l
CVE-2004-0235 MEDIUM 6.4 DOWNGRADE DOWNGRADE Multiple directory traversal vulnerabilities in LHA 1.14 allow remote attackers or local users to create arbit
CVE-2004-0234 HIGH 10.0 DOWNGRADE DOWNGRADE Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in the get_header function in header.c for LHA 1.14, as used in products
CVE-2004-0162 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE DOWNGRADE Multiple content security gateway and antivirus products allow remote attackers to bypass content restrictions
CVE-2004-0161 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE DOWNGRADE Multiple content security gateway and antivirus products allow remote attackers to bypass content restrictions

References

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