HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2002-0059

CRITICAL

CVE-2002-0059

CWE-415Published: March 15, 2002· Updated: Jun 16, 2026

9.8

CVSS v3.1

Official Description

The decompression algorithm in zlib 1.1.3 and earlier, as used in many different utilities and packages, causes inflateEnd to release certain memory more than once (a "double free"), which may allow local and remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a block of malformed compression data.

Technical Analysis

CVE-2002-0059 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

The vulnerability requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it a prime target for automated exploitation campaigns and worm-like propagation.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 9.8.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.None

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

zlib1 product(s)

zlib

Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

Security advisories & exploits

Official NIST entry

CVE Program entry

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttp://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/security/2002/MDKSA-2002-023.php

PATCHhttp://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2002-026.html

PATCHhttp://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2002-027.html

PATCHhttp://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/security/2002/MDKSA-2002-023.php

PATCHhttp://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2002-026.html

PATCHhttp://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2002-027.html

ADVISORYhttp://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2002-07.html

ADVISORYhttp://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/368819

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/4267

ADVISORYhttps://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/8427

ADVISORYhttp://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2002-07.html

ADVISORYhttp://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/368819

ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/4267

ADVISORYhttps://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/8427

All References (32)

→

ftp://ftp.caldera.com/pub/security/OpenLinux/CSSA-2002-015.1.txtBroken Link

→

http://distro.conectiva.com.br/atualizacoes/?id=a&anuncio=000469Broken Link

→

http://frontal2.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2002:022Broken Link

→

http://www.caldera.com/support/security/advisories/CSSA-2002-014.1.txtBroken Link

→

http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2002-07.htmlThird Party Advisory · US Government Resource

→

http://www.debian.org/security/2002/dsa-122Broken Link

→

http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/368819Third Party Advisory · US Government Resource

→

http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/security/2002/MDKSA-2002-023.phpBroken Link · Patch · Vendor Advisory

→

http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/security/2002/MDKSA-2002-024.php3Broken Link

→

http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2002-026.htmlBroken Link · Patch · Vendor Advisory

→

http://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2002-027.htmlBroken Link · Patch · Vendor Advisory

→

http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/4267Broken Link · Third Party Advisory · VDB Entry

→

http://www1.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docId=HPSBTL0204-030Broken Link

→

http://www1.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docId=HPSBTL0204-036Broken Link

→

http://www1.itrc.hp.com/service/cki/docDisplay.do?docId=HPSBTL0204-037Broken Link

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2002-0059

CVSS Score9.8 / 10

SeverityCRITICAL

WeaknessCWE-415

CISA KEVNo

Affected1 vendor(s)

PublishedMar 15, 2002

Related CVEs (CWE-415)

Recommended Actions

→Apply vendor patches immediately
→Monitor CVE-2002-0059 in threat intel feeds
→Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts

Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.

← All Vulnerabilities·Search for CVE-2002-0059·NVD