In Dovecot before 2.2.36.3 and 2.3.x before 2.3.5.1, a local attacker can cause a buffer overflow in the indexer-worker process, which can b
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 1.1% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 66.8% of all records.
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- Fixed version: dovecot (Alpine:v3.10) 2.3.5.1-r0; dovecot (Alpine:v3.6) 2.2.36.3-r0; dovecot (Debian:12) 1:2.3.4.1-3.
- Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).
Low priority for now. Upgrade to dovecot (Alpine:v3.10) 2.3.5.1-r0; dovecot (Alpine:v3.6) 2.2.36.3-r0; dovecot (Debian:12) 1:2.3.4.1-3 or later.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
In Dovecot before 2.2.36.3 and 2.3.x before 2.3.5.1, a local attacker can cause a buffer overflow in the indexer-worker process, which can be used to elevate to root. This occurs because of missing checks in the fts and pop3-uidl components.
- Published
- Mar 28, 2019
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 1.2% · 67th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-119
Report tools
Action score
31
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 1.2%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 7.8
- CNA · mitre
- 8.8
- 1.0 point gap
CVSS:3.0/AC:L/AV:L/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:L/S:C/UI:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- A fix has been released
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| dovecot | dovecot | cpe:2.3:a:dovecot:dovecot |
| debian | debian linux | cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux |
| canonical | ubuntu linux | cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux |
| opensuse | leap | cpe:2.3:o:opensuse:leap |
Using dovecot? Add it to your stack and be the first to know about CVEs like this one. (Email server)
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- dovecot dovecotbefore 2.2.36.3
- dovecot dovecot2.3.0 and later · before 2.3.5.1
Package-level exposure
OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected range | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine:v3.10 | dovecot | from 2.3.0 · before 2.3.5.1-r0 | 2.3.5.1-r0 |
| Alpine:v3.6 | dovecot | from 2.3.0 · before 2.2.36.3-r0 | 2.2.36.3-r0 |
| Debian:12 | dovecot | before 1:2.3.4.1-3 | 1:2.3.4.1-3 |
| Debian:8 | dovecot | before 1:2.2.13-12~deb8u6 | 1:2.2.13-12~deb8u6 |
| Debian:9 | dovecot | before 1:2.2.27-3+deb9u4 | 1:2.2.27-3+deb9u4 |
| openSUSE:Leap 15.0 | dovecot23 | before 2.3.3-lp150.8.2 | 2.3.3-lp150.8.2 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | dovecot23 | before 2.3.16-1.6 | 2.3.16-1.6 |
| openSUSE:Tumbleweed | dovecot24 | before 2.4.0-1.1 | 2.4.0-1.1 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | dovecot | before 1:2.2.36-6.el7 | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | dovecot-debuginfo | before 1:2.2.36-6.el7 | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | dovecot-devel | before 1:2.2.36-6.el7 | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | dovecot-mysql | before 1:2.2.36-6.el7 | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | dovecot-pgsql | before 1:2.2.36-6.el7 | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 |
| Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | dovecot-pigeonhole | before 1:2.2.36-6.el7 | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 |
| SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 | dovecot23 | before 2.3.3-4.10.1 | 2.3.3-4.10.1 |
| SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | dovecot22 | before 2.2.31-19.14.2 | 2.2.31-19.14.2 |
Same product
dovecot: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2019-11500In Dovecot before 2.2.36.4 and 2.3.x before 2.3.7.2 (and Pigeonhole before 0.5.7.2), protocol processing can fail for quoted strings.58Plan
- CVE-2020-7046lib-smtp in submission-login and lmtp in Dovecot 2.3.9 before 2.3.9.3 mishandles truncated UTF-8 data in command parameters, as demonstrated45Plan
- CVE-2016-8652The auth component in Dovecot before 2.2.27, when auth-policy is configured, allows a remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) 37Monitor
- CVE-2026-27851When safe filter is used with variable expansion, all following pipelines on the same string are incorrectly interpreted as safe too, enabli36Monitor
- CVE-2022-30550An issue was discovered in the auth component in Dovecot 2.2 and 2.3 before 2.3.20.36Monitor
- CVE-2017-14461A specially crafted email delivered over SMTP and passed on to Dovecot by MTA can trigger an out of bounds read resulting in potential sensi33Monitor
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 |
|---|---|---|
| alpine:dovecot | 2.3.5.1-r0 · Alpine:v3.10 | Package registry (OSV) |
| debian:dovecot | 1:2.3.4.1-3 · Debian:12 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:dovecot23 | 2.3.3-lp150.8.2 · openSUSE:Leap 15.0 | Package registry (OSV) |
| opensuse:dovecot24 | 2.4.0-1.1 · openSUSE:Tumbleweed | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:dovecot | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:dovecot-debuginfo | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:dovecot-devel | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:dovecot-mysql | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:dovecot-pgsql | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | Package registry (OSV) |
| red hat:dovecot-pigeonhole | 1:2.2.36-6.el7 · Red Hat:enterprise_linux:7::server | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:dovecot22 | 2.2.31-19.14.2 · SUSE:OpenStack Cloud 7 | Package registry (OSV) |
| suse:dovecot23 | 2.3.3-4.10.1 · SUSE:Linux Enterprise Module for Server Applications 15 | 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.
No credits in the CNA record.
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).
National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)
Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.
- TR-20-189 · Apr 1, 2020(Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Güvenlik Güncellemesi)
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- 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
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-119 · Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory BufferCVSS vector
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
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)
- Buffer Overflow via Environment VariablesCAPEC-10likelihood: High · High
- Overflow BuffersCAPEC-100likelihood: High · Very High
- Buffer ManipulationCAPEC-123likelihood: High · Very High
- Client-side Injection-induced Buffer OverflowCAPEC-14likelihood: Medium · High
- Filter Failure through Buffer OverflowCAPEC-24likelihood: High · High
- MIME ConversionCAPEC-42likelihood: High · High
- Overflow Binary Resource FileCAPEC-44likelihood: High · Very High
- Buffer Overflow via Symbolic LinksCAPEC-45likelihood: High · High
ATT&CK techniques
—
Change log
- Fix✗ → ✓
For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →
References
Show all references (12 more)Show less
- lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-04/msg00067.html
- www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2019/03/28/1
- www.securityfocus.com/bid/107672
- dovecot.org/list/dovecot-news/2019-March/000403.html
- dovecot.org/security.html
- lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2019/03/msg00038.html
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/4XLI55NGRDTGMVOPYFCPPFNPA5VKYSSY/
- lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/QHFZ5OWRIZGIWZJ5PTNVWWZNLLNH4XYS/
- seclists.org/bugtraq/2019/Mar/59
- security.gentoo.org/glsa/201904-19
- usn.ubuntu.com/3928-1/
- www.debian.org/security/2019/dsa-4418
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.