# CVE-2000-0803: Privilege escalation in n/a

> Local attackers can escalate privileges by placing a malicious device description file in the current working directory, which executes when another user runs groff.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 7 May 2001
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wph5-jqqm-rqpf

## What is CVE-2000-0803?

CVE-2000-0803 is a critical vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 May 2001. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

GNU Groff uses the current working directory to find a device description file, which allows a local user to gain additional privileges by including a malicious postpro directive in the description file, which is executed when another user runs groff.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2000-0803?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Gnu Groff.

## How do I fix CVE-2000-0803?

No fix has been published for CVE-2000-0803 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2000-0803 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2000-0803 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2001-1022](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2001-1022/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2002-0003](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2002-0003/): Memory corruption in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2009-5079](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-5079/): Path traversal in n/a (low 3.3)
- [CVE-2009-5080](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-5080/): Path traversal in n/a (low 3.3)
- [CVE-2009-5081](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-5081/): Path traversal in n/a (low 3.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2000-0803 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2000-0803 is a critical vulnerability in n/a, published on 7 May 2001. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2000-0803 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-0803/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-0803/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2000-0803
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2000-0803
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2000-0803

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2000-0803/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.