# CVE-2003-0102: Memory corruption in n/a

> A buffer overflow in the file command allows attackers to execute arbitrary code by providing a crafted ELF file with a large entity size.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.6 (`AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Sep 2004
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0102, DSA-260, GHSA-8hj3-wvpv-xrpr

## What is CVE-2003-0102?

CVE-2003-0102 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Netbsd Netbsd, published on 1 Sep 2004. 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

Buffer overflow in tryelf() in readelf.c of the file command allows attackers to execute arbitrary code as the user running file, possibly via a large entity size value in an ELF header (elfhdr.e_shentsize).

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2003-0102?

It affects 2 products.


Products: File File, Netbsd Netbsd.

## How do I fix CVE-2003-0102?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2003-0102 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2003-0102 exists.

Public exploit code:

- File 3.x - Local Stack Overflow Code Execution (1) (exploitdb)
- File 3.x - Local Stack Overflow Code Execution (2) (exploitdb)

## Other vulnerabilities in Netbsd Netbsd

- [CVE-2004-1304](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1304/): Memory corruption in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2007-1536](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-1536/): Integer overflow in n/a (critical 9.3)
- [CVE-2007-2799](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2007-2799/): Integer overflow in n/a (medium 5.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2003-0102 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2003-0102 is a medium-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Netbsd Netbsd, published on 1 Sep 2004. 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: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2003-0102 exists.

Affected product: Netbsd Netbsd. 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-2003-0102/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0102/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2003-0102
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2003-0102
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2003-0102

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2003-0102/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.