CVE catalog

CVE-2003-0161

sendmail: CVE-2003-0161

Severity: Medium
Published: Mar 31, 2003, 3:23:00 PM UTC
Source: [NVD] · [CVE record]
EPSS: 38.79% · Oct 25, 2026

The prescan() function in the address parser (parseaddr.c) in Sendmail before 8.12.9 does not properly handle certain conversions from char and int types, which can cause a length check to be disabled when Sendmail misinterprets an input value as a special "NOCHAR" control value, allowing attackers to cause a denial of service and possibly execute arbitrary code via a buffer overflow attack using messages, a different vulnerability than CVE-2002-1337.

Vulnerable and fixed packages

Distribution-reported package versions and fixes. These do not depend on matching against the OpenFactory package catalog.

Distribution	Package	Release	Version	Status
Debian	sendmail	sid	`8.18.2-2`	fixed
Debian	sendmail	forky	`8.18.2-2`	fixed
Debian	sendmail	trixie	`8.18.1-6`	fixed
Debian	sendmail	bookworm	`8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2`	fixed

Fixed-version evidence

Distribution	Package	Type	Release	Fixed version	Urgency	Origin	Bugs
Debian	sendmail	source	sid	`8.12.9-1`	not yet assigned	Not reported	Not reported
Debian	sendmail	source	forky	`8.12.9-1`	not yet assigned	Not reported	Not reported
Debian	sendmail	source	trixie	`8.12.9-1`	not yet assigned	Not reported	Not reported
Debian	sendmail	source	bookworm	`8.12.9-1`	not yet assigned	Not reported	Not reported

OpenFactory catalog packages

[Debian 12 (Bookworm)]

[libmilter1.0.1]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (4)
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · amd64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · arm64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · amd64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · arm64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
[libmilter-dev]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (4)
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · amd64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · arm64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · amd64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · arm64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
[rmail]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (4)
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · amd64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · arm64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · amd64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · arm64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
[sendmail]Fixed
Details (4)
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · all · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · all · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · all · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · all · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
[sendmail-base]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (4)
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · all · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · all · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · all · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · all · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
[sendmail-bin]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (4)
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · amd64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · arm64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · amd64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · arm64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
[sendmail-cf]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (4)
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · all · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · all · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · all · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · all · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
[sendmail-doc]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (4)
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · all · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · all · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · all · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · all · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
[sensible-mda]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (4)
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · amd64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.17.1.9-2+deb12u2 · arm64 · bookworm
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · amd64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12
- 8.18.1-6~bpo12+1 · arm64 · bookworm-backports
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · bookworm; dsa · sendmail · debian · 12

[Debian 13 (Trixie)]

[libmilter1.0.1]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (2)
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · amd64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · arm64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
[libmilter-dev]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (2)
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · amd64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · arm64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
[rmail]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (2)
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · amd64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · arm64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
[sendmail]Fixed
Details (2)
- 8.18.1-6 · all · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
- 8.18.1-6 · all · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
[sendmail-base]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (2)
- 8.18.1-6 · all · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
- 8.18.1-6 · all · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
[sendmail-bin]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (2)
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · amd64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · arm64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
[sendmail-cf]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (2)
- 8.18.1-6 · all · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
- 8.18.1-6 · all · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
[sendmail-doc]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (2)
- 8.18.1-6 · all · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
- 8.18.1-6 · all · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
[sensible-mda]Fixed
Source package: [sendmail]
Details (2)
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · amd64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13
- 8.18.1-6+b1 · arm64 · trixie
  Fixed · Fixed: 8.12.9-1
  dsa · sendmail · debian · 13

Observed: Oct 23, 2026, 5:02:15 PM UTC

References

[Debian Security Tracker] · [FIRST EPSS] · [OSV Package Vulnerability Database] · [Red Hat security advisories and VEX]