CVE-2004-0850: Star before 1.5_alpha46 does not drop the effective user ID (euid) before calling external programs, which cou

Routine

HIGH 7.2DOWNGRADE

CVE-2004-0850 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.2) affecting star tape archiver. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Star before 1.5_alpha46 does not drop the effective user ID (euid) before calling external programs, which could allow local users to gain privileges by modifying the RSH environment variable to reference a malicious program.

Why this priority

High severity

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.2 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	0.4% (top 62%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2004-12-23
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: joerg schilling

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2004-12-23 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:06 UTCUpdated Record last modified

joerg schilling star tape archiver DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.5_a45

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.5_a45

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy star-tape-archiver || rpm -q star-tape-archiver || star-tape-archiver --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.5_a45 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison star-tape-archiver sudo apt install star-tape-archiver=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.5_a45> sudo apt-mark hold star-tape-archiver

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

dnf --showduplicates list star-tape-archiver sudo dnf downgrade star-tape-archiver-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.5_a45> sudo dnf versionlock add star-tape-archiver

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-2004-0850?

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

Is CVE-2004-0850 being exploited?

CVE-2004-0850 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-2004-0850 affect?

CVE-2004-0850 affects star tape archiver. Severity is high (CVSS 7.2). Star before 1.5_alpha46 does not drop the effective user ID (euid) before calling external programs, which could allow local users to gain privileges by modifying the RSH environment variable to reference a malicious program.

How urgent is CVE-2004-0850?

Priority 35/100. High severity

References

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