Every CVE Search/ Get API key

CVE-2005-3382

Multiple interpretation error in Sophos 3.91 with the 2.28.4 engine allows remote attackers to...

5.0 Medium

Multiple interpretation error in Sophos 3.91 with the 2.28.4 engine allows remote attackers to bypass virus scanning via a file such as BAT, HTML, and EML with an "MZ" magic byte sequence which is normally associated with EXE, which causes the file to be treated as a safe type that could still be executed as a dangerous file type by applications on the end system, as demonstrated by a "triple headed" program that contains EXE, EML, and HTML content, aka the "magic byte bug."

Exploit likelihood

4.49%Up 3.3 points since Feb 4, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 5.0

Multiple interpretation error in Sophos 3.91 with the 2.28.4 engine allows remote attackers to bypass virus scanning via a file such as BAT, HTML, and EML with an "MZ" magic byte sequence which is normally associated with EXE, which causes the file to be treated as a safe type that could still be executed as a dangerous file type by applications on the end system, as demonstrated by a "triple headed" program that contains EXE, EML, and HTML content, aka the "magic byte bug."

Record
CVE-2005-3382
CVSS 2.0
5.0 MediumAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:P/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

Multiple interpretation error in Sophos 3.91 with the 2.28.4 engine allows remote attackers to bypass virus scanning via a file such as BAT, HTML, and EML with an "MZ" magic byte sequence which is normally associated with EXE, which causes the file to be treated as a safe type that could still be executed as a dangerous file type by applications on the end system, as demonstrated by a "triple headed" program that contains EXE, EML, and HTML content, aka the "magic byte bug."

Record
CVE-2005-3382
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2005-3381 No score

Multiple interpretation error in Sophos 3.91 with the 2.28.4 engine allows remote attackers to bypass virus scanning via a file such as BAT, HTML, and EML with an "MZ" magic byte sequence which is normally associated with EXE, which causes the file to be treated as a safe type that could still be executed as a dangerous file type by applications on the end system, as demonstrated by a "triple headed" program that contains EXE, EML, and HTML content, aka the "magic byte bug."

Record
EUVD-2005-3381
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-gjgx-pwcf-xm7m No score

Multiple interpretation error in Sophos 3.91 with the 2.28.4 engine allows remote attackers to...

Multiple interpretation error in Sophos 3.91 with the 2.28.4 engine allows remote attackers to bypass virus scanning via a file such as BAT, HTML, and EML with an "MZ" magic byte sequence which is normally associated with EXE, which causes the file to be treated as a safe type that could still be executed as a dangerous file type by applications on the end system, as demonstrated by a "triple headed" program that contains EXE, EML, and HTML content, aka the "magic byte bug."

Record
GHSA-gjgx-pwcf-xm7m
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2005-3382 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.0) in Sophos Anti-virus, published October 29, 2005. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 4.49%, the 91st percentile. No source names a fixed version.

References

MoveEnter Open