CVE-2004-1918: RSniff 1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (connection exhaustion) via a large number of

Routine

MEDIUM 5.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2004-1918 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting rsniff. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

RSniff 1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (connection exhaustion) via a large number of connections with a command other than AUTHENTICATE, or without any data, which prevents the socket from being closed properly.

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	1.6% (top 24%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2004-04-09
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: rsniff

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

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

rsniff rsniff DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.0

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison rsniff sudo apt install rsniff=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.0> sudo apt-mark hold rsniff

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

dnf --showduplicates list rsniff sudo dnf downgrade rsniff-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.0> sudo dnf versionlock add rsniff

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-2004-1918?

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

Is CVE-2004-1918 being exploited?

CVE-2004-1918 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-2004-1918 affect?

CVE-2004-1918 affects rsniff. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). RSniff 1.0 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (connection exhaustion) via a large number of connections with a command other than AUTHENTICATE, or without any data, which prevents the socket from being closed properly.

How urgent is CVE-2004-1918?

Priority 37/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

References

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