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CupsApplication · Easy Software Products

CVE-2007-5849

HIGH · 9.3 CVSS v2.0 Published 2007-12-19
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Integer underflow in the asn1_get_string function in the SNMP back end (backend/snmp.c) for CUPS 1.2 through 1.3.4 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a crafted SNMP response that triggers a stack-based buffer overflow.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Integer underflow in the asn1_get_string function in CUPS' SNMP backend (backend/snmp.c) allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via crafted SNMP responses. The vulnerability affects CUPS versions 1.2 through 1.3.4 and triggers a stack-based buffer overflow, potentially giving attackers complete control of the affected system.

MitigationUpgrade CUPS to version 1.3.5 or later to patch the integer underflow vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, disable SNMP-based printer discovery in the CUPS configuration or block SNMP traffic at the network perimeter to reduce exposure.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
CupsApplication
Affected:= 1.2.4= 1.2.9= 1.2.10= 1.2.12= 1.3.3

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
M
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed CUPS version
    Run 'cups-config --version' or check the CUPS package version via your system's package manager (dpkg -l cups, rpm -q cups, etc.)
    Affected if The version is 1.2.x or 1.3.x through 1.3.4 (including 1.2.4, 1.2.9, 1.2.10, 1.2.12, 1.3.3)
  2. Locate the SNMP backend binary
    Check for the existence of backend/snmp.c compiled binary, typically at /usr/lib/cups/backend/snmp or /usr/libexec/cups/backend/snmp
    Affected if The SNMP backend binary exists in the CUPS backend directory
  3. Verify SNMP backend is executable
    Check file permissions with 'ls -la /usr/lib/cups/backend/snmp' (path may vary by OS)
    Affected if The SNMP backend exists and has execute permissions
  4. Check CUPS configuration for SNMP discovery
    Inspect /etc/cups/cupsd.conf and /etc/cups/cups.conf for 'SNMP' directives or examine /etc/cups/printers.conf for any printers configured with SNMP backend
    Affected if CUPS is configured to use SNMP for printer discovery or any printers reference the snmp: backend in their device URI
  5. Test SNMP backend availability
    Run 'lpinfo -v | grep snmp' to list SNMP-discovered devices or check if the backend responds to 'ipp://localhost/printers/' with SNMP queries
    Affected if SNMP-based printer discovery is actively enabled and returning results

You are affected if your CUPS version falls between 1.2 and 1.3.4 (inclusive) and the SNMP backend is installed, enabled, or configured for printer discovery.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade CUPS to version 1.3.5 or later to patch the integer underflow vulnerability. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, disable SNMP-based printer discovery in the CUPS configuration or block SNMP traffic at the network perimeter to reduce exposure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

CUPS version newer than 1.3.4 (e.g., 1.3.5 or latest stable)

  1. 1. Identify the current CUPS version installed on the system using 'cups-config --version' or 'dpkg -l | grep cups' / 'rpm -q cups'
  2. 2. If the installed version is 1.2.4, 1.2.9, 1.2.10, 1.2.12, or any version from 1.2.x through 1.3.4, the system is vulnerable
  3. 3. Upgrade CUPS to a version newer than 1.3.4 (e.g., 1.3.5 or later stable release) using the system's package manager
  4. 4. After upgrade, restart the CUPS service using 'service cups restart' or '/etc/init.d/cups restart'
  5. 5. Verify the new version is installed and the service is running properly
Caveat Upgrading CUPS may introduce changes to printer configurations or API behavior; review release notes for the target version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Cups Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,720
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2007-5849 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data