How severe is CVE-2003-0038?

No CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2003-0038 yet. Review the advisory details and affected package list to assess your exposure.

Which packages are affected by CVE-2003-0038?

CVE-2003-0038 affects the following packages: mailman (PyPI). Ecosystems affected: PyPI.

How do I fix CVE-2003-0038?

Update mailman to 2.1.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2003-0038 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.

How do I detect CVE-2003-0038 in my PyPI dependencies?

Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for mailman, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.

How do I mitigate CVE-2003-0038 if there is no patch (or I can't update yet)?

If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.

How does O3 Security protect against CVE-2003-0038?

O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2003-0038 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Is CVE-2003-0038 actively exploited in the wild?

Yes. There are 2 known exploit references for CVE-2003-0038, including 2 documented proof-of-concept exploits on Exploit-DB. Treat this as actively exploitable and prioritize patching immediately. All exploit code should only be run in an isolated sandbox environment for research or authorized testing — never against production systems without explicit written authorization.

What is the EPSS score for CVE-2003-0038?

CVE-2003-0038 has an EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) score of 4.8%, placing it in the 91th percentile of all CVEs. EPSS is maintained by FIRST.org and estimates the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. This score indicates relatively lower exploitation probability, though the CVSS severity should still guide your patching priority.

When was CVE-2003-0038 published, and has it been updated?

CVE-2003-0038 was published on April 29, 2022 and was last updated on July 6, 2026. Advisory data evolves as severity scores, affected ranges, and exploit intelligence are revised — always check the latest version of the advisory before acting.

🐍 PyPI

Not in CISA KEV

CVE-2003-0038 — mailman

CVE-2003-0038 is a security vulnerability in mailman. 2 public exploit references exist, so weaponization risk is real. A fix is available for mailman — see the affected versions and patch details below.

Mailman Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability

Also known asPYSEC-2026-657

Published

Apr 29, 2022

Updated

Jul 6, 2026

Affected

1 pkg

Patched

1 / 1

Exploits

2 known

Exploitation data as of Sep 18, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

EPSS Exploitation Probability

via FIRST.org ↗

4.8%probability of exploitation in next 30 days

Lower Risk0.00%

Lower risk than most CVEs91th percentile — riskier than 91% of all scored CVEsHighest risk

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) is a daily probability model maintained by FIRST.org. It estimates the likelihood a CVE will be exploited in production environments within the next 30 days, derived from real-world threat intelligence signals.

Real-World Exposure

1 pkg affected

🐍mailman

Real-time download stats are indexed for npm and PyPI packages. This vulnerability affects PyPI packages — download data is not available via public APIs for these ecosystems.

Description

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in options.py for Mailman 2.1 allows remote attackers to inject script or HTML into web pages via the (1) email or (2) language parameters.

Affected Packages

1 total 1 fixed

Ecosystem	Package	Vulnerable range	Fix
🐍PyPI	`mailman`	all versions	2.1.1`pip install --upgrade 'mailman==2.1.1'`

Exploits & PoCs

Research use only. For defensive security, authorized penetration testing, and academic research only. Never execute exploit code against systems without explicit written authorization.

EDB-22199webappscgi✓ Verified

GNU Mailman 2.1 - Error Page Cross-Site Scripting

by [email protected] · Jan 24, 2003

Exploit-DB Source

EDB-22198webappscgi✓ Verified

GNU Mailman 2.1 - 'email' Cross-Site Scripting

by [email protected] · Jan 24, 2003

Exploit-DB Source

Detection & mitigation playbook

Open-source dependency

Detect
Scan your dependency tree (package-lock.json, pnpm-lock.yaml, requirements.txt, go.sum, etc.) for mailman, including transitive dependencies — a direct dependency you never call can still pull in a vulnerable version.
Fix
Update mailman to 2.1.1 or later, then make sure no transitive (indirect) dependency still pins the vulnerable range — O3 confirms CVE-2003-0038 is resolved across your whole dependency graph.
Workarounds
If you can't upgrade right away: gate or disable the affected feature, validate untrusted input at the boundary, and avoid passing attacker-controlled data into the vulnerable path. O3's runtime protection blocks exploitation in production as an interim safeguard until the upgrade lands.
How O3 protects you
O3 Security's impact-aware SCA analyses which vulnerable code paths your application actually calls, so a match like CVE-2003-0038 can be triaged on real exposure rather than presence alone.

Tailored to CVE-2003-0038. Runtime protection reduces exposure until a permanent patch is applied and verified — it complements patching, it doesn't replace it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in options.py for Mailman 2.1 allows remote attackers to inject script or HTML into web pages via the (1) email or (2) language parameters.

O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

Is CVE-2003-0038 in your dependencies?

O3 Security finds CVE-2003-0038 across PyPI dependencies, including transitive ones, and its impact-aware SCA ranks findings by whether your code actually calls the vulnerable path.

Scan my dependencies How O3 SCA works