CVE-2006-1168: The decompress function in compress42.c in (1) ncompress 4.2.4 and (2) liblzw allows remote attackers to cause

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HIGH 7.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2006-1168 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.5) affecting ncompress. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The decompress function in compress42.c in (1) ncompress 4.2.4 and (2) liblzw allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash), and possibly execute arbitrary code, via crafted data that leads to a buffer underflow.

Why this priority

High severity
EPSS top 7%: very likely to be exploited

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.5 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	5.8% (top 7%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2006-08-14
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): Silicon Graphics (SGI) · Vendor: ncompress

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2006-08-14 20:04 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:22 UTCUpdated Record last modified

ncompress ncompress DOWNGRADE

Affected: 4.2.4

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.2.4

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.2.4 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison ncompress sudo apt install ncompress=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.2.4> sudo apt-mark hold ncompress

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

dnf --showduplicates list ncompress sudo dnf downgrade ncompress-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.2.4> sudo dnf versionlock add ncompress

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-2006-1168?

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

Is CVE-2006-1168 being exploited?

CVE-2006-1168 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-2006-1168 affect?

CVE-2006-1168 affects ncompress. Severity is high (CVSS 7.5). The decompress function in compress42.c in (1) ncompress 4.2.4 and (2) liblzw allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash), and possibly execute arbitrary code, via crafted data that leads to a buffer underflow.

How urgent is CVE-2006-1168?

Priority 50/100. High severity; EPSS top 7%: very likely to be exploited

Related CVEs

CVE-2005-2991 LOW 2.1 UPGRADE ncompress 4.2.4 and earlier allows local users to overwrite arbitrary files via a symlink attack on temporary
CVE-2001-1413 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE Stack-based buffer overflow in the comprexx function for ncompress 4.2.4 and earlier, when used in situations

References

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