CVE-2004-1698: The Base64 function in PopMessenger 1.60 (before 20 Sep 2004) and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a d

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MEDIUM 5.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2004-1698 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting popmessenger. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The Base64 function in PopMessenger 1.60 (before 20 Sep 2004) and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via invalid characters in a message, which causes several alert dialogs to be displayed and leads to a crash.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	3.5% (top 11%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2004-09-24
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: leadmind

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2004-09-24 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:08 UTCUpdated Record last modified

leadmind popmessenger DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.60

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.60

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.60 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison popmessenger sudo apt install popmessenger=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.60> sudo apt-mark hold popmessenger

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

dnf --showduplicates list popmessenger sudo dnf downgrade popmessenger-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.60> sudo dnf versionlock add popmessenger

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: PopMessenger 1.60 - Remote Denial of Service

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-2004-1698?

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

Is CVE-2004-1698 being exploited?

CVE-2004-1698 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-2004-1698 affect?

CVE-2004-1698 affects popmessenger. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). The Base64 function in PopMessenger 1.60 (before 20 Sep 2004) and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (application crash) via invalid characters in a message, which causes several alert dialogs to be displayed and l

How urgent is CVE-2004-1698?

Priority 45/100. Public exploit reference

References

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