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Unrated severityNVD Advisory· Published Dec 6, 2001· Updated Jun 16, 2026

CVE-2001-0838

CVE-2001-0838

Description

Format string vulnerability in Network Solutions Rwhoisd 1.5.x allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via format string specifiers in the -soa command.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

Affected products

2
  • Network Solutions/Rwhoisd2 versions
    cpe:2.3:a:network_solutions:rwhoisd:1.5.x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 1 more
    • cpe:2.3:a:network_solutions:rwhoisd:1.5.x:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • (no CPE)range: ~> 1.5.0, < 1.6.0

Patches

Vulnerability mechanics

Root cause

"The rwhoisd daemon improperly handles user-supplied format strings in the '-soa' command, leading to memory corruption and arbitrary code execution."

Attack vector

A remote attacker can send a specially crafted request to the rwhoisd service, utilizing the '-soa' directive with format string specifiers. This payload is passed directly to a logging function, allowing the attacker to overwrite memory. By carefully controlling the format string and memory addresses, an attacker can redirect program execution to arbitrary code, potentially gaining elevated privileges if rwhoisd is run as root [ref_id=1].

Affected code

The vulnerability exists in the rwhoisd daemon, specifically within the handling of the '-soa' directive. The code passes a user-supplied format string to the print_error() function, which does not sanitize the input, leading to the format string vulnerability [ref_id=1]. The exploit code targets specific versions of rwhoisd on various platforms, including Linux and FreeBSD [ref_id=1].

What the fix does

The advisory does not specify a patch or provide details on how the vulnerability is fixed. Remediation guidance suggests updating to a non-vulnerable version, but specific patch details are not available in the provided information.

Preconditions

  • networkThe target system must be running a vulnerable version of Network Solutions Rwhoisd (1.5.x).
  • inputThe attacker must be able to send a request containing format string specifiers via the '-soa' command.

Generated on Jun 5, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.

References

1

News mentions

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