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CVE-2002-0542
mail in OpenBSD 2.9 and 3.0 processes a tilde (~) escape character in a message even when it is not in interactive mode, which could allow…
High7.2EPSS 1.5%
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- mitre
Description
mail in OpenBSD 2.9 and 3.0 processes a tilde (~) escape character in a message even when it is not in interactive mode, which could allow local users to gain root privileges via calls to mail in cron.
Timeline
ID reserved
By mitre
- 10 months later
· 10 months later
Published
- 21 years later
· 21 years later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDNVD · Modified | 2.0 | High7.2 | AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 1.5% · top 25% of all CVEs (8 Nov 2026)
Loading the EPSS history…
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.2.
Weakness
- n/a
Affected products
n/a
- affected n/a
References (6)
- http://www.openbsd.org/errata30.html#mail (opens in a new tab)x_refsource_CONFIRMx_transferred
- 20020411 OpenBSD Local Root Compromise (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
- 4495 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_BIDx_transferred
- openbsd-mail-root-privileges(8818) (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_XFx_transferred
- 20020411 local root compromise in openbsd 3.0 and below (opens in a new tab)mailing-listx_refsource_BUGTRAQx_transferred
- 5269 (opens in a new tab)vdb-entryx_refsource_OSVDBx_transferred
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2002-0542)Record last updated .