HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2005-3120
CRITICALPOC

CVE-2005-3120

CWE-131Published: October 17, 2005· Updated: Jun 16, 2026

9.8
CVSS v3.1

Official Description

Stack-based buffer overflow in the HTrjis function in Lynx 2.8.6 and earlier allows remote NNTP servers to execute arbitrary code via certain article headers containing Asian characters that cause Lynx to add extra escape (ESC) characters.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2005-3120 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.

A proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit exists for CVE-2005-3120. While not yet confirmed in active campaigns, the availability of PoC code increases exploitation risk substantially.

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

Debian1 product(s)
debian linux
invisible-island1 product(s)
lynx
Source: NVD CPE · 3 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

POC AVAILABLEProof-of-concept code exists
Exploit-DB
Offensive Security exploit database
GitHub PoC Search
Community PoC repositories
Rapid7 / Metasploit
Metasploit module search
PacketStorm
Security advisories & exploits
NVD Detail
Official NIST entry
MITRE CVE
CVE Program entry
External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

PATCHhttp://lists.grok.org.uk/pipermail/full-disclosure/2005-October/038019.html
PATCHhttp://lists.grok.org.uk/pipermail/full-disclosure/2005-October/038019.html
ADVISORYhttp://securitytracker.com/id?1015065
ADVISORYhttp://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2006-010.htm
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-874
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-876
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2006/dsa-1085
ADVISORYhttp://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-15.xml
ADVISORYhttp://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2005:186
ADVISORYhttp://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2005-803.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/419763/100/0/threaded
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/435689/30/4740/threaded
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/15117
ADVISORYhttp://securitytracker.com/id?1015065
ADVISORYhttp://support.avaya.com/elmodocs2/security/ASA-2006-010.htm
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-874
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2005/dsa-876
ADVISORYhttp://www.debian.org/security/2006/dsa-1085
ADVISORYhttp://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200510-15.xml
ADVISORYhttp://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDKSA-2005:186
ADVISORYhttp://www.redhat.com/support/errata/RHSA-2005-803.html
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/419763/100/0/threaded
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/435689/30/4740/threaded
ADVISORYhttp://www.securityfocus.com/bid/15117

All References (70)

→
ftp://ftp.sco.com/pub/updates/OpenServer/SCOSA-2006.7/SCOSA-2006.7.txtBroken Link
→
ftp://ftp.sco.com/pub/updates/UnixWare/SCOSA-2005.47/SCOSA-2005.47.txtBroken Link
→
http://lists.grok.org.uk/pipermail/full-disclosure/2005-October/038019.htmlBroken Link · Patch · Vendor Advisory
→
http://lists.trustix.org/pipermail/tsl-announce/2005-October/000354.htmlBroken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17150Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17216Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17230Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17231Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17238Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17248Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17340Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17360Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17444Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17445Broken Link
→
http://secunia.com/advisories/17480Broken Link

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2005-3120
CVSS Score9.8 / 10
SeverityCRITICAL
WeaknessCWE-131
CISA KEVNo
ExploitPOC
Affected2 vendor(s)
PublishedOct 17, 2005

Related CVEs (CWE-131)

CVE-2023-5941
9.8
CVE-2021-27378
9.8
CVE-2021-21824
9.8
CVE-2021-0254
9.8
CVE-2019-10500
9.8
CVE-2024-23621
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Recommended Actions

  • →Apply vendor patches immediately
  • →Monitor CVE-2005-3120 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.
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