CVE-2008-1996: licq before 1.3.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (file-descriptor exhaustion and applica

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MEDIUM 5.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2008-1996 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting licq. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

licq before 1.3.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (file-descriptor exhaustion and application crash) via a large number of connections.

Why this priority

EPSS top 4%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	11.2% (top 4%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-399
Published	2008-04-28
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: licq

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2008-04-28 20:05 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:52 UTCUpdated Record last modified

licq licq DOWNGRADE

Affected: 0.61 · 0.71 · 0.75 · 0.75.1 · 0.75.2 · 0.75.3 · 0.75.3a · 0.75_991219

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 0.61

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 0.61 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison licq sudo apt install licq=<VERSION_BEFORE_0.61> sudo apt-mark hold licq

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

dnf --showduplicates list licq sudo dnf downgrade licq-<VERSION_BEFORE_0.61> sudo dnf versionlock add licq

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: LICQ 1.3.5 - File Descriptor 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-2008-1996?

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

Is CVE-2008-1996 being exploited?

CVE-2008-1996 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-2008-1996 affect?

CVE-2008-1996 affects licq. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). licq before 1.3.6 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (file-descriptor exhaustion and application crash) via a large number of connections.

How urgent is CVE-2008-1996?

Priority 46/100. EPSS top 4%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2003-0363 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE Format string vulnerability in LICQ 1.2.6, 1.0.3 and possibly other versions allows remote attackers to perfor
CVE-2002-0251 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE Buffer overflow in licq 1.0.4 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and pos
CVE-2001-0440 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE MITIGATE Buffer overflow in logging functions of licq before 1.0.3 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service
CVE-2001-0439 HIGH 7.5 UPGRADE MITIGATE licq before 1.0.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters in a URL.

References

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