Apache SpamAssassin has an OS Command Injection vulnerability
In Apache SpamAssassin before 3.4.5, malicious rule configuration (.cf) files can be configured to run system commands without any output or errors. With this, exploits can be injected in a number of scenarios. In addition to upgrading to SA version 3.4.5, users should only use update channels or 3rd party .cf files from trusted places.
Noroxi analysis
No Noroxi analysis for this record yet
We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.
We use this product, ask for help- Published
- Mar 25, 2021
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 6.1% · 93th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-78
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Report tools
Action score
41
Plan
Add it to your regular patch cycle.
- CVSS
- 39 / 40 · 9.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 2 / 30 · 6.1%
Affected systems
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| apache | spamassassin | cpe:2.3:a:apache:spamassassin |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| fedoraproject | fedora | cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- apache spamassassinbefore 3.4.5
- debian debian linux10.0
- debian debian linux9.0
- fedoraproject fedora32
- fedoraproject fedora33
- fedoraproject fedora34
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (apache). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
Apache Software Foundation Apache SpamAssassin
- Apache SpamAssassin and later · before 3.4.5affected
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| AlmaLinux:8 | spamassassin | before 3.4.4-4.el8 | 3.4.4-4.el8 |
| Alpine:v3.10 | spamassassin | before 3.4.5-r0 | 3.4.5-r0 |
| Debian:10 | spamassassin | before 3.4.2-1+deb10u3 | 3.4.2-1+deb10u3 |
| Debian:12 | spamassassin | before 3.4.5~pre1-1 | 3.4.5~pre1-1 |
| Debian:9 | spamassassin | before 3.4.2-1~deb9u4 | 3.4.2-1~deb9u4 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | spamassassin | before 3.4.5-lp152.10.3.1 | 3.4.5-lp152.10.3.1 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | spamassassin | before 3.4.6-71.3 | 3.4.6-71.3 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | spamassassin | before 0:3.4.4-4.el8 | 0:3.4.4-4.el8 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | spamassassin-debuginfo | before 0:3.4.4-4.el8 | 0:3.4.4-4.el8 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | spamassassin-debugsource | before 0:3.4.4-4.el8 | 0:3.4.4-4.el8 |
| Rocky Linux:8 | spamassassin | before 0:3.4.4-4.el8 | 0:3.4.4-4.el8 |
| SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | spamassassin | before 3.4.5-44.13.1 | 3.4.5-44.13.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15-ESPOS | spamassassin | before 3.4.5-7.14.1 | 3.4.5-7.14.1 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Basesystem 15 SP2 | spamassassin | before 3.4.5-12.10.1 | 3.4.5-12.10.1 |
Same product
apache: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2006-2447SpamAssassin before 3.1.3, when running with vpopmail and the paranoid (-P) switch, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands vi43Plan
- CVE-2018-11780A potential Remote Code Execution bug exists with the PDFInfo plugin in Apache SpamAssassin before 3.4.2.42Plan
- CVE-2020-1931A command execution issue was found in Apache SpamAssassin prior to 3.4.3.34Monitor
- CVE-2020-1930A command execution issue was found in Apache SpamAssassin prior to 3.4.3.34Monitor
- CVE-2019-12420In Apache SpamAssassin before 3.4.3, a message can be crafted in a way to use excessive resources.32Monitor
- CVE-2018-11781Apache SpamAssassin 3.4.2 fixes a local user code injection in the meta rule syntax.31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
| Product / package | Fixed version | Source |
|---|---|---|
| almalinux:spamassassin | 3.4.4-4.el8 · AlmaLinux:8 | Package registry (OSV) |
| alpine:spamassassin | 3.4.5-r0 · Alpine:v3.10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:spamassassin | 3.4.5~pre1-1 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:spamassassin | 3.4.5-lp152.10.3.1 · openSUSE:Leap 15.2 | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:spamassassin | 0:3.4.4-4.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:spamassassin-debuginfo | 0:3.4.4-4.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:spamassassin-debugsource | 0:3.4.4-4.el8 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:8::appstream | Package registry (OSV) |
| rocky linux:spamassassin | 0:3.4.4-4.el8 · Rocky Linux:8 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:spamassassin | 3.4.5-44.13.1 · SUSE:HPE Helion OpenStack 8 | Package registry (OSV) |
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
- Damian Lukowskicredativ for ethically reporting this issue.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
- No account or password is required.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Network
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-78 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command ('OS Command Injection')CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Root cause
User input is inserted as text into a shell command. The shell may interpret special characters in the input as part of the command.
The bug in code
The whole CWE-78 classA representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.
Vulnerable
const host = req.body.host;exec("ping -c 1 " + host, onResult);Fixed
const host = req.body.host;if (!/^[a-z0-9.-]{1,253}$/i.test(host)) return res.sendStatus(400);execFile("ping", ["-c", "1", host], onResult);Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Command Line Execution through SQL InjectionCAPEC-108likelihood: Low · Very High
- Command DelimitersCAPEC-15likelihood: High · High
- Exploiting Multiple Input Interpretation LayersCAPEC-43likelihood: Medium · High
- Argument InjectionCAPEC-6likelihood: High · High
- OS Command InjectionCAPEC-88likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/04/msg00000.html
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/7V2SBVTKVLFFT36ECJQ7TQ7KAQCQZDRZ/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/JFBFRIG5TX23NF4ND6OAKKY7I6TLRCCP/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/NKAXYBKBMQOLIW6UKASJCAZRBOIYS4RL/
- s.apache.org/3r1wh
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/202105-26
- www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4879
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.