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Unrated severityNVD Advisory· Published May 29, 2002· Updated Jun 16, 2026

CVE-2002-0239

CVE-2002-0239

Description

Buffer overflow in hanterm 3.3.1 and earlier allows local users to execute arbitrary code via a long string in the (1) -fn, (2) -hfb, or (3) -hfn argument.

AI Insight

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

Affected products

2
  • Hanterm/Hanterm Xf2 versions
    cpe:2.3:a:hanterm:hanterm:3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*+ 1 more
    • cpe:2.3:a:hanterm:hanterm:3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
    • cpe:2.3:a:hanterm:hanterm:3.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

Patches

Vulnerability mechanics

Root cause

"A buffer overflow vulnerability exists in hanterm due to improper handling of long strings passed as arguments."

Attack vector

A local user can trigger this vulnerability by executing hanterm with a maliciously constructed string as the `-fn`, `-hfb`, or `-hfn` argument [ref_id=1]. This long string can overwrite the stack frame's return address, allowing an attacker to redirect program execution. If hanterm is running with SUID root privileges, this can lead to a local root compromise [ref_id=1].

Affected code

The vulnerability lies within the hanterm program, specifically in how it processes arguments such as `-fn`, `-hfb`, and `-hfn`. The provided exploit code demonstrates overwriting a buffer with a long string, leading to a segmentation fault when `strcpy` is called [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 version of hanterm that addresses this issue.

Preconditions

  • inputThe attacker must be able to execute hanterm locally.
  • configHanterm must be installed on the target system.
  • configHanterm may be running with SUID root privileges for a full system compromise.

Reproduction

``` [x82@xpl017elz x82]$ cp /usr/X11R6/bin/hanterm . [x82@xpl017elz x82]$ gdb -q hanterm (no debugging symbols found)...(gdb) r -display 61.xx.177.27:0 -fn `perl -e 'print "x"x80'` ... Program received signal SIGSEGV, Segmentation fault. 0x80520e6 in strcpy () at ../sysdeps/generic/strcpy.c:30 ```

``` [x82@xpl017elz x82]$ ./exploit -a 61.xx.177.27:0 -o 2370 -b 88 ... bash# ```

Generated on Jun 2, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.

References

7

News mentions

0

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