CVE-2023-1801: The SMB protocol decoder in tcpdump version 4.99.3 can perform an out-of-bounds write when decoding a crafted

Routine

MEDIUM 6.5DOWNGRADE

CVE-2023-1801 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 6.5) affecting tcpdump. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The SMB protocol decoder in tcpdump version 4.99.3 can perform an out-of-bounds write when decoding a crafted network packet.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	6.5 (Medium)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	None
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	0.8% (top 42%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-787
Published	2023-04-07
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): Tcpdump Group · Vendor: tcpdump

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2023-04-07 21:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 05:28 UTCUpdated Record last modified

tcpdump tcpdump DOWNGRADE

Affected: 4.99.3

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.99.3

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.99.3 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison tcpdump sudo apt install tcpdump=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.99.3> sudo apt-mark hold tcpdump

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

dnf --showduplicates list tcpdump sudo dnf downgrade tcpdump-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.99.3> sudo dnf versionlock add tcpdump

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-2023-1801?

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

Is CVE-2023-1801 being exploited?

CVE-2023-1801 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-2023-1801 affect?

CVE-2023-1801 affects tcpdump. Severity is medium (CVSS 6.5). The SMB protocol decoder in tcpdump version 4.99.3 can perform an out-of-bounds write when decoding a crafted network packet.

How urgent is CVE-2023-1801?

Priority 37/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Related CVEs

CVE-2018-16301 HIGH 7.8 UPGRADE The command-line argument parser in tcpdump before 4.99.0 has a buffer overflow in tcpdump.c:read_infile()
CVE-2020-8037 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE MITIGATE The ppp decapsulator in tcpdump 4.9.3 can be convinced to allocate a large amount of memory.
CVE-2020-8036 HIGH 7.5 DOWNGRADE The tok2strbuf() function in tcpdump 4.10.0-PRE-GIT was used by the SOME/IP dissector in an unsafe way.
CVE-2019-15167 CRITICAL 9.1 UPGRADE The VRRP parser in tcpdump before 4.9.3 has a buffer over-read in print-vrrp.c:vrrp_print() for VRRP version 3
CVE-2019-15166 LOW 1.6 UPGRADE UPGRADE lmp_print_data_link_subobjs() in print-lmp.c in tcpdump before 4.9.3 lacks certain bounds checks.

References

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