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Fencer Vulns
high 7.5

CVE-2008-1721 in the critical feed json

Integer signedness error in the zlib extension module in Python 2.5.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a n…

published 2008-04-10 18 y ago modified 2026-06-16 4 mo ago also EUVD-2008-1722

cvss
7.5
version 2.0, NVD
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
22.6%
EPSS 22.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 97%
public exploits
1
Exploit-DB

Summary

Integer signedness error in the zlib extension module in Python 2.5.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a negative signed integer, which triggers insufficient memory allocation and a buffer overflow.

Patch / fix

  • python python 2.4.6
  • python RHEL 4 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2
  • tkinter RHEL 4 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2
  • python-tools RHEL 4 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2
  • python RHEL 5 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6
  • tkinter RHEL 5 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6
  • python-tools RHEL 5 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6

red hat advisories RHSA-2009:1177RHSA-2009:1176

  • python SLE Module for Python 2 15 SP1, SLE Module for Desktop Applications 15 SP1, SLE Module for Desktop Applications 15 +2 more 2.7.17-7.32.2
  • python-base SLE Module for Python 2 15 SP1, SLE Module for Basesystem 15 SP1, SLE Module for Basesystem 15 2.7.17-7.32.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2020:0234-1

  • python openSUSE Tumbleweed 2.7.18-8.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2024:11202-1

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2008-1721 updated

python: integer signedness error in the zlib extension module

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (v. 5 server) python 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6, tkinter 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6, python-tools 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1176
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS version 4 python 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2, tkinter 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2, python-tools 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1177
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop (v. 5 client) python 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6, tkinter 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6, python-tools 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1176
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop version 4 python 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2, tkinter 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2, python-tools 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1177
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop Workstation (v. 5 client) python 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6, tkinter 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6, python-tools 2.4.3-24.el5_3.6
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1176
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES version 4 python 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2, tkinter 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2, python-tools 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2 Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS version 4 python 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2, tkinter 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2, python-tools 2.3.4-14.7.el4_8.2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2009:1177

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

Timeline

  1. First public exploit (EDB-31634)
  2. Published

Exploit prediction

22.62% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 97% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

  • EDB-31634 Python zlib Module - Remote Buffer Overflow remote, 2008-04-09
  • securityreason.com http://securityreason.com/securityalert/3802 referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
NVD 2.0 7.5 AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Classification

Weakness
  • CWE-681 Incorrect Conversion between Numeric Types

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.