Path traversal in Open-Xchange GmbH OX Dovecot Pro
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Information disclosure
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · None · None
- Fix status
- Deferred Red Hat: fix deferred
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-22 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
When dovecot has been configured to use per-domain passwd files, and they are placed one path component above /etc, or slash has been added to allowed characters, path traversal can happen if the domain component is directory partial. This allows inadvertently reading /etc/passwd (or some other path which ends with passwd). If this file contains passwords, it can be used to authenticate wrongly, or if this is userdb, it can unexpectly make system users appear valid users. Upgrade to fixed version, or use different authentication scheme that does not rely on paths. Alternatively you can also ensure that the per-domain passwd files are in some other location, such as /etc/dovecot/auth/%d. No publicly available exploits are known.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open-Xchange GmbH | OX Dovecot Pro | up to 2.3.0 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- OX Dovecot Pro VendorOpen-Xchange GmbH Affected up to 2.3.0 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 2
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:dovecot:dovecot:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 2.4.0 | Vulnerable | The Dovecot Project |
| cpe:2.3:a:open-xchange:dovecot:*:*:*:*:pro:*:*:* | before 3.1.0 | Vulnerable | Open-Xchange GmbH |
- cpe:2.3:a:dovecot:dovecot:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 2.4.0 Vulnerable ·The Dovecot Project
- cpe:2.3:a:open-xchange:dovecot:*:*:*:*:pro:*:*:* Versions before 3.1.0 Vulnerable ·Open-Xchange GmbH
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-0394
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-xmp7-q4wc-cq3x
References
More Open-Xchange GmbH Dovecot vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-22201 When safe filter is used with variable expansion, all following pipelines on the same… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.1
- TI-2026-22208 Uncontrolled resource consumption in Open-Xchange GmbH OX Dovecot Pro CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2025-36674 Improper input validation in Open-Xchange GmbH OX Dovecot Pro CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2025-36670 Improper input validation in Open-Xchange GmbH OX Dovecot Pro CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-19360 SQL injection in Open-Xchange GmbH OX Dovecot Pro CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.2
- TI-2026-22206 Improper authentication in Open-Xchange GmbH OX Dovecot Pro CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-0394 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-0394 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-xmp7-q4wc-cq3x · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-0394 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences