CVE-2005-0086: Heap-based buffer overflow in less in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 allows attackers to cause a denial of serv...

Security readout for executives and security teams

CVE-2005-0086 is a heap buffer overflow in the less file viewer on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3. A crafted file, especially under a UTF-8 locale, could crash the application or possibly run code. The business concern is mainly legacy Linux exposure and user-assisted handling of untrusted files. Exposure is most likely on legacy Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 systems using the vulnerable less package. Fedora-related advisory references may indicate downstream relevance, but the bundle does not define exact affected versions beyond the RHEL 3 description. Treat this as a legacy-system risk rather than a broad modern emergency. Prioritize discovery of any remaining RHEL 3 assets, confirm patch status, and isolate or retire systems that cannot receive vendor-supported fixes. Mitigation focus: Apply the vendor update referenced by Red Hat advisory RHSA-2005:068 where applicable.; Check Fedora advisory FLSA:2404 if maintaining related Fedora-era packages.; Retire or isolate unsupported Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 systems..

Prepared

Jun 30, 2026, 01:23 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.