Sendmail up to 8.12.6 Hostname check_relay access control

CVSS Meta Temp Score
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CTI Interest Score
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6.6$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability identified as critical has been detected in Sendmail. This issue affects the function check_relay of the component Hostname Handler. This manipulation causes access control. This vulnerability appears as CVE-2002-2261. There is no available exploit. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Sendmail (Mail Server Software) and classified as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is the function check_relay of the component Hostname Handler. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a access control vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-264. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

Sendmail 8.9.0 through 8.12.6 allows remote attackers to bypass relaying restrictions enforced by the check_relay function by spoofing a blank DNS hostname.

The bug was discovered 12/03/2002. The weakness was presented 12/31/2002 (Website). It is possible to read the advisory at patches.sgi.com. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2002-2261 since 10/17/2007. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploitation doesn't need any form of authentication. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The attack technique deployed by this issue is T1068 according to MITRE ATT&CK.

It is declared as proof-of-concept. The vulnerability was handled as a non-public zero-day exploit for at least 28 days. During that time the estimated underground price was around $5k-$25k. The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 43132 (HP-UX PHNE_40388 : HP-UX Running sendmail, Remote Denial of Service (DoS) (HPSBUX02495 SSRT090151 rev.2)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment. It is assigned to the family HP-UX Local Security Checks and running in the context l. The commercial vulnerability scanner Qualys is able to test this issue with plugin 116754 (HP-UX Running sendmail Remote Denial of Service (HPSBUX02495)).

Applying a patch is able to eliminate this problem. A possible mitigation has been published 8 years after the disclosure of the vulnerability.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at X-Force (10775), Tenable (43132), SecurityFocus (BID 6548†), OSVDB (60140†) and Secunia (SA7826†). See VDB-19074 for similar entry. Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Type

Name

Version

License

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 7.3
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 6.6

VulDB Base Score: 7.3
VulDB Temp Score: 6.6
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
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VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Access control
CWE: CWE-264
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔍
Status: Proof-of-Concept

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

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Nessus ID: 43132
Nessus Name: HP-UX PHNE_40388 : HP-UX Running sendmail, Remote Denial of Service (DoS) (HPSBUX02495 SSRT090151 rev.2)
Nessus File: 🔍
Nessus Risk: 🔍
Nessus Family: 🔍
Nessus Context: 🔍
Nessus Port: 🔍

OpenVAS ID: 835205
OpenVAS Name: HP-UX Update for sendmail HPSBUX02495
OpenVAS File: 🔍
OpenVAS Family: 🔍

Qualys ID: 🔍
Qualys Name: 🔍

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Patch
Status: 🔍

Reaction Time: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔍
Exposure Time: 🔍

Timelineinfo

12/03/2002 🔍
12/03/2002 +0 days 🔍
12/03/2002 +0 days 🔍
12/04/2002 +1 days 🔍
12/31/2002 +27 days 🔍
12/31/2002 +0 days 🔍
01/07/2003 +7 days 🔍
05/10/2005 +854 days 🔍
10/17/2007 +890 days 🔍
11/17/2009 +762 days 🔍
12/14/2009 +27 days 🔍
08/06/2014 +1696 days 🔍
08/29/2025 +4041 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Advisory: patches.sgi.com⛔
Status: Confirmed
Confirmation: 🔍

CVE: CVE-2002-2261 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2002-2261
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-19903

OVAL: 🔍

X-Force: 10775
SecurityFocus: 6548 - Sendmail check_relay Access Bypassing Vulnerability
Secunia: 7826 - IRIX updates to sendmail, Less Critical
OSVDB: 60140 - CVE-2002-2261 - Sendmail - Security Bypass Issue
SecurityTracker: 1005748
Vulnerability Center: 7931 - Sendmail 8.9, 8.12 Allows Access Bypassing via check_relay, Medium
Vupen: ADV-2009-3539

See also: 🔍

Entryinfo

Created: 08/06/2014 18:27
Updated: 08/29/2025 05:50
Changes: 08/06/2014 18:27 (85), 06/04/2019 14:18 (5), 08/29/2025 05:50 (18)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

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