CVE-2003-0978 — Format string vulnerability in gpgkeys_hkp (experimental HKP interface) for the GnuPG (gpg) client 1.2.3 and earlier, and 1.3.3 and earlier, allows remote attackers or a malicious keyserver to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code during key retrieval

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HIGH

Format string vulnerability in gpgkeys_hkp (experimental HKP interface) for the GnuPG (gpg) client 1.2.3 and earlier, and 1.3.3 and earlier, allows remote attackers or a malicious keyserver to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code during key retrieval

Published Dec 10, 2003

7.5

HIGH

CVSS 2.0

EPSS 2.76%

Description

Format string vulnerability in gpgkeys_hkp (experimental HKP interface) for the GnuPG (gpg) client 1.2.3 and earlier, and 1.3.3 and earlier, allows remote attackers or a malicious keyserver to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code during key retrieval.

Affected products

Remediation

No remediation recorded yet.

Metrics

2.76% 0.02759

Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.

EPSS probability 0.02759

Score over time

2022–2026

EPSS v2
EPSS v3
EPSS v4
EPSS v5

Percentile over time

EPSS v2
EPSS v3
EPSS v4
EPSS v5

Table of values (11 key points)

Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.

Date	Score	Percentile	Model
Oct 1, 2026	2.76% (0.02759)	85.73th	v5 (v2026.06.15)
Jun 15, 2026	2.76% (0.02759)	84.29th	v5 (v2026.06.15)
Mar 30, 2025	2.12% (0.02116)	82.57th	v4 (v2025.03.14)
Mar 29, 2025	3.13% (0.03133)	78.00th	v4 (v2025.03.14)
Mar 17, 2025	1.98% (0.01983)	82.39th	v4 (v2025.03.14)
Dec 12, 2024	3.47% (0.03472)	91.87th	v3 (v2023.03.01)
Dec 25, 2023	3.47% (0.03472)	90.56th	v3 (v2023.03.01)
Mar 7, 2023	2.09% (0.02088)	87.31th	v3 (v2023.03.01)
Mar 6, 2023	4.29% (0.04291)	87.64th	v2 (v2022.01.01)
Apr 1, 2022	4.29% (0.04291)	86.39th	v2 (v2022.01.01)
Feb 4, 2022	4.29% (0.04291)	70.14th	v2 (v2022.01.01)

Weaknesses (0)

No CWE recorded.

References (4)

http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=107047470625214&w=2
mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQ
http://www.novell.com/linux/security/advisories/2003_048_gpg.html
vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
http://www.s-quadra.com/advisories/Adv-20031203.txt
x_refsource_MISC
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/13892
vdb-entryx_refsource_XF

Link	Providers	Tags
http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=107047470625214&w=2		mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQ
http://www.novell.com/linux/security/advisories/2003_048_gpg.html		vendor-advisoryx_refsource_SUSE
http://www.s-quadra.com/advisories/Adv-20031203.txt		x_refsource_MISC
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/13892		vdb-entryx_refsource_XF

Change history (0)

No recorded changes yet.

Sources

CVE.org / MITRE

Status PUBLISHED

Assigner mitre

Published Dec 10, 2003

Updated Aug 8, 2024

Reserved Dec 9, 2003

Link CVE-2003-0978

CISA Vulnrichment

Updated n/a

NVD

Status Modified

Modified Jun 16, 2026

Link CVE-2003-0978

Red Hat

Severity n/a

Public date n/a

Links CVE-2003-0978