CVE-2005-0966: The IRC protocol plugin in Gaim 1.2.0, and possibly earlier versions, allows (1) remote attackers to inject ar

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MEDIUM 6.4DOWNGRADE

CVE-2005-0966 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.4) affecting gaim. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The IRC protocol plugin in Gaim 1.2.0, and possibly earlier versions, allows (1) remote attackers to inject arbitrary Gaim markup via irc_msg_kick, irc_msg_mode, irc_msg_part, irc_msg_quit, (2) remote attackers to inject arbitrary Pango markup and pop up empty dialog boxes via irc_msg_invite, or (3) malicious IRC servers to cause a denial of service (application crash) by injecting certain Pango markup into irc_msg_badmode, irc_msg_banned, irc_ms

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.4 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	2.5% (top 15%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2005-05-02
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): Red Hat, Inc. · Vendor: rob flynn

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2005-05-02 04:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:12 UTCUpdated Record last modified

rob flynn gaim DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.2.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.2.0

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.2.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison gaim sudo apt install gaim=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.2.0> sudo apt-mark hold gaim

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

dnf --showduplicates list gaim sudo dnf downgrade gaim-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.2.0> sudo dnf versionlock add gaim

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-2005-0966?

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

Is CVE-2005-0966 being exploited?

CVE-2005-0966 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-2005-0966 affect?

CVE-2005-0966 affects gaim. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.4). The IRC protocol plugin in Gaim 1.2.0, and possibly earlier versions, allows (1) remote attackers to inject arbitrary Gaim markup via irc_msg_kick, irc_msg_mode, irc_msg_part, irc_msg_quit, (2) remote attackers to inject arbitrary Pango mar

How urgent is CVE-2005-0966?

Priority 44/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

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References

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