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Vulnerability record · CVE-2004-0608 · published 6 December 2004

CVE-2004-0608: Unreal Engine UDP secure query buffer overflow allows remote code execution

Arush · Devastation

The Unreal Engine, as used in numerous games including DeusEx, Unreal Tournament, Unreal Tournament 2003/2004, Postal 2, Rune, and others, mishandles a UDP packet containing a secure query with an overly long value, overwriting memory. Because the flaw is reachable over the network without authentication, it exposes every listed game build to remote compromise. The record does not specify the exact vulnerable function or the precise overflow length.

10.0 CVSS 2.0 High EPSS 74% · top 0.5%
10.0CVSS 2.0 base score
74%EPSS exploitation probability, 30 days
NoNot in CISA KEV
14Affected product versions listed by NVD
10References, 2 tagged exploit
16 Jun 2026Last modified by NVD

Description

The Unreal Engine, as used in DeusEx 1.112fm and earlier, Devastation 390 and earlier, Mobile Forces 20000 and earlier, Nerf Arena Blast 1.2 and earlier, Postal 2 1337 and earlier, Rune 107 and earlier, Tactical Ops 3.4.0 and earlier, Unreal 1 226f and earlier, Unreal II XMP 7710 and earlier, Unreal Tournament 451b and earlier, Unreal Tournament 2003 2225 and earlier, Unreal Tournament 2004 before 3236, Wheel of Time 333b and earlier, and X-com Enforcer, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a UDP packet containing a secure query with a long value, which overwrites memory.

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Automated analysis

Generated by VULONE's analysis model from the NVD record, CISA KEV and EPSS data on 18 September 2026. Confidence: high.

critical priorityUnauthenticated remote code execution with complete impact across many widely deployed game builds, plus a public exploit reference and very high EPSS score.

What it is

The Unreal Engine, as used in numerous games including DeusEx, Unreal Tournament, Unreal Tournament 2003/2004, Postal 2, Rune, and others, mishandles a UDP packet containing a secure query with an overly long value, overwriting memory. Because the flaw is reachable over the network without authentication, it exposes every listed game build to remote compromise. The record does not specify the exact vulnerable function or the precise overflow length.

Impact

A remote attacker can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the game server or client process, giving full control of the affected host. The CVSS 2.0 vector rates confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact as complete.

Attack surface

Reachable over the network via a crafted UDP packet to the game's query port; no authentication or user interaction is required per the AV:N/AC:L/Au:N vector. Any host running an affected Unreal Engine game build that listens for secure queries is exposed.

Exploitation

No CISA KEV listing and no ransomware association are recorded, but EPSS is 0.73544 (99.4th percentile) and a SecurityFocus reference is tagged Exploit, indicating public exploit material exists.

What to do

  • Patch or upgrade to the fixed Unreal Engine build for each affected game (Unreal Tournament 2004 3236 or later, and the corresponding patched releases for the other titles).
  • Apply the Gentoo GLSA-200407-14 update if the game is installed from Gentoo packages.
  • Restrict UDP query ports to trusted networks with firewall or ACL rules where patching is not possible.
  • Disable or block the secure query service on internet-facing game servers until a fix is applied.
  • Monitor vendor advisories for the individual game titles, since fixes were released per product rather than as a single engine patch.

Detection

  • Inspect UDP traffic to game query ports for oversized secure query values or malformed query packets.
  • Alert on crashes or unexpected process restarts of Unreal Engine game servers.
  • Monitor for unusual child processes or outbound connections spawned by the game server process.
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for the Unreal Engine secure query overflow (SecurityFocus BID 10570).

This assessment is produced automatically and is not human-reviewed. Verify against the vendor advisory before acting on it.

Affected products

14 vulnerable configurations from NVD's CPE data, grouped by vendor and product.

References

LinkTags
http://aluigi.altervista.org/adv/unsecure-adv.txt Vendor Advisory
http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=108787105023304&w=2
http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200407-14.xml PatchVendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/10570 ExploitVendor Advisory
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/16451
http://aluigi.altervista.org/adv/unsecure-adv.txt Vendor Advisory
http://marc.info/?l=bugtraq&m=108787105023304&w=2
http://www.gentoo.org/security/en/glsa/glsa-200407-14.xml PatchVendor Advisory
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/10570 ExploitVendor Advisory
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/16451

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Same products first, then exploited flaws of the same weakness class.

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Source: NIST National Vulnerability Database (record CVE-2004-0608), CISA KEV, FIRST EPSS (scores of 2026-09-26). This page is refreshed as NVD updates the record.