Description
Buffer overflow in defang in libhttpd.c for thttpd 2.21 to 2.23b1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via requests that contain '<' or '>' characters, which trigger the overflow when the characters are expanded to "<" and ">" sequences.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 3.0 | thttpd | 2.21b-11.2 | DSA-396 |
Public exploits
Exploit or proof-of-concept code for this vulnerability is publicly available, which lowers the bar for attackers. Treat it as a reason to patch sooner.
Third-party code, not reviewed by us. Public PoCs are sometimes fake or contain malware. Read the code first and run it only in an isolated lab, against systems you are authorised to test.
Exploit-DB 2
- thttpd 2.2x - 'defang' Remote Buffer Overflow (PoC) EDB-23305 · dos · Oct 27, 2003 · verified
- thttpd 2.2x - 'defang' Remote Buffer Overflow EDB-23306 · remote · Oct 27, 2003 · verified
Sources: PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit Framework, Exploit-DB — updated daily. Only links are listed; no exploit code is hosted here.
Advisories 1
- DSA-396 thttpd - missing input sanitizing, wrong calculation Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- 8906 vdb-entry
- DSA-396 vendor-advisory
- 10092 third-party-advisory
- 2729 vdb-entry
- http://www.texonet.com/advisories/TEXONET-20030908.txt
- 20031027 Remote overflow in thttpd mailing-list
- thttpd-defang-bo(13530) vdb-entry