What is CVE-2013-6490?A critical-severity flaw in Pidgin, explained.
CVE-2013-6490 is a critical-severity flaw (CVSS 10.0) in Pidgin, published on 6 February 2014. It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts its chance of use in the next 30 days at 15%. If you run an affected version, plan in the vendor’s fix.
Published 6 February 2014. Record last updated 11 April 2025. We keep this page's data up to date.
What is CVE-2013-6490? In plain terms.
It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.
The SIMPLE protocol functionality in Pidgin before 2.10.8 allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via a negative Content-Length header, which triggers a buffer overflow.
What kind of flaw is it?
- CWE-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer
How an attack on it works
Read straight from its severity rating, translated out of the shorthand.
- Where an attacker can beAnywhere on the internet
- How hard it is to pull offEasy: no special conditions
- Login needed firstNo login needed
- What an attacker getsCan read data, change data and take it offline
Severity vector: AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
Is CVE-2013-6490 being exploited? Not that we know of.
It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 15%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.
Timeline
- Published
- Record last updated
- Exploit likelihood fell
CVE-2013-6490 scores 54. Action: Plan remediation.
We keep the score of every published flaw up to date as the evidence changes. Four things go into the score, and evidence that criminals are actually using it counts most. In order:
- Evidence it is being exploitedBiggest factor
- How severe it isStrong factor
- How widely exposed it isSmaller factor
- Threat activity around itSmaller factor
85 and above is Critical. Anything confirmed as exploited is always marked for an emergency patch, whatever its score.
When CVE-2013-6490 matches software you track, it lands in your list with its score and the reasons behind it.
See your own ranked list →How do I fix CVE-2013-6490? Four steps.
- Check whether you run itCompare your versions with the affected products above. Not sure what you run? Precursor Intelligence can work it out from your public website, or you can pick it from a list.
- Apply the vendor’s fixInstall the update named in the vendor’s advisory. We’ve put the advisory first in the list.
- If you can’t patch todayFollow any mitigation the vendor publishes, and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet until the update is in.
- Keep an eye on itTrack the product and we tell you as soon as we spot this flaw on the list of exploited flaws, or a jump in its exploit likelihood.
Does CVE-2013-6490 affect you? We'll keep checking.
Looking flaws up one at a time doesn't scale. Tell us what you run once, and we tell you which flaws matter to you, in what order, and keep watching for new ones.
- Tell us what you runPick your software from a list, or let us work it out from your website.
- We match it to every flawOver 400,000 published flaws, checked against your list.
- Ranked by real-world riskA 0 to 100 score, led by evidence criminals are using it.
- Told as soon as we knowAn alert by email, in the app or by webhook to your own tools.
Free plan, no card needed. Nothing to install.
1 new flaw affects software Acme tracks
The SIMPLE protocol functionality in Pidgin before 2.10.8 allows remote attackers to have an unspecified impact via a negative Content-Length header, which t...
- Matched to
- Pidgin on Acme's software list
- What to do
- Plan in the vendor’s update
Sent to the alert recipients Acme chose. Also in the app and to Acme's webhook.
CVE-2013-6490 is a critical-severity flaw in Pidgin, published on 6 February 2014. It can be attacked from anywhere on the internet without logging in. If it works, the attacker can read data, change data and take it offline.
It scores 10.0 out of 10 on the CVSS severity scale, which is critical. Our risk score for CVE-2013-6490 is 54 out of 100, which is Medium. Its action is "Plan remediation". Not confirmed as exploited yet, but serious or likely enough that it should not wait for a quiet month.
It is not on the list of flaws known to be exploited today. The latest forecast puts the chance of it being used in the next 30 days at 15%. That can change at any time, which is why we keep watching.
For Pidgin: up to 2.10.7.
Install the update the vendor names in its advisory, linked first under "How do I fix" on this page. If you can't patch today, follow the vendor's mitigation and limit who can reach the affected system from the internet.