CVE-2004-0796: SpamAssassin 2.5x, and 2.6x before 2.64, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via certain malf

Routine

MEDIUM 5.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2004-0796 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting spamassassin. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

SpamAssassin 2.5x, and 2.6x before 2.64, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via certain malformed messages.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	1.9% (top 20%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2004-10-20
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: spamassassin

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2004-10-20 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:06 UTCUpdated Record last modified

spamassassin spamassassin DOWNGRADE

Affected: 2.40 · 2.41 · 2.42 · 2.43 · 2.44 · 2.50 · 2.55 · 2.60

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 2.40

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 2.40 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison spamassassin sudo apt install spamassassin=<VERSION_BEFORE_2.40> sudo apt-mark hold spamassassin

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

dnf --showduplicates list spamassassin sudo dnf downgrade spamassassin-<VERSION_BEFORE_2.40> sudo dnf versionlock add spamassassin

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-2004-0796?

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

Is CVE-2004-0796 being exploited?

CVE-2004-0796 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-2004-0796 affect?

CVE-2004-0796 affects spamassassin. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). SpamAssassin 2.5x, and 2.6x before 2.64, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via certain malformed messages.

How urgent is CVE-2004-0796?

Priority 38/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

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References

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