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7.5

Kismet allows remote command execution via crafted ESSID

CVE-2002-0904 · published 24 years ago
Summary

Versions of Kismet up to 2.2.1 let an attacker send a specially crafted Wi‑Fi network name (ESSID) that contains shell characters. This can cause the program to run arbitrary commands on the machine running Kismet. Upgrade to a newer version of Kismet or apply the vendor’s patch to stop the problem.

What to do

The CVE record does not list a fixed version. Check the vendor's site or the advisory links below - a fix may already be released.

Affected software
VendorProductAffected versions
kismet kismet 2.2
2.2.1
cpe:2.3:a:kismet:kismet:2.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Original advisory text
SayText function in Kismet 2.2.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters (backtick or pipe) in the essid argument.
SayText function in Kismet 2.2.1 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via shell metacharacters (backtick or pipe) in the essid argument.
References
Fix within
Internet-facing 14 days
Internal 60 days
  • Not known to be exploited
  • Can be exploited automatically (estimated)
  • Gives an attacker partial control (estimated)
Severity
7.5 High
Exploitation
2% chance of attack within 30 days
Timeline
Published4 Oct 2002
Updated4 Nov 2026
First seen29 Sep 2026
Sources
CVE-2002-0904 · NVD
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