net-imap: Denial of service via high iteration count for `SCRAM-*` authentication
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Passive
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Attack requirements
- Present
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 fixed, 1 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 4.0 · CNA. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-770.
Summary
Net::IMAP implements Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) client functionality in Ruby. From versions 0.4.0 to before 0.4.24, 0.5.0 to before 0.5.14, and 0.6.0 to before 0.6.4, when authenticating a connection with SCRAM-SHA1 or SCRAM-SHA256, a hostile server can perform a computational denial-of-service attack on the client process by sending a big iteration count value. This issue has been patched in versions 0.4.24, 0.5.14, and 0.6.4.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ruby | net-imap | 0.4.0 to before 0.4.24; 0.5.0 to before 0.5.14; 0.6.0 to before 0.6.4 | 0.4.24, 0.5.14, 0.6.4 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | net-imap (RubyGems) | 0.6.0 to before 0.6.4 | 0.6.4 | Patch available | GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7 |
| — | net-imap (RubyGems) | 0.5.0 to before 0.5.14 | 0.5.14 | Patch available | GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7 |
| — | net-imap (RubyGems) | 0.4.0 to before 0.4.24 | 0.4.24 | Patch available | GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7 |
- net-imap Vendorruby Affected 0.4.0 to before 0.4.24; 0.5.0 to before 0.5.14; 0.6.0 to before 0.6.4 Fixed in 0.4.24, 0.5.14, 0.6.4 Patch available CNA
- net-imap (RubyGems) Vendor— Affected 0.6.0 to before 0.6.4 Fixed in 0.6.4 Patch available GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7
- net-imap (RubyGems) Vendor— Affected 0.5.0 to before 0.5.14 Fixed in 0.5.14 Patch available GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7
- net-imap (RubyGems) Vendor— Affected 0.4.0 to before 0.4.24 Fixed in 0.4.24 Patch available GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7
Remediation
- Fix · CNA net-imap (ruby) Fixed in 0.4.24, 0.5.14, 0.6.4
- Fix · GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7 net-imap (RubyGems) Fixed in 0.6.4 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7 net-imap (RubyGems) Fixed in 0.5.14 Advisory →
- Fix · GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7 net-imap (RubyGems) Fixed in 0.4.24 Advisory →
Red Hat 9 advisories
- RHSA-2026:50827 Released 2026-08-05 · Red Hat rating Importantruby:4.0 security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) ruby-4.0.6-34.module+el9.8.0+24564+e55418dc.aarch64::ruby:4.0, ruby-4.0.6-34.module+el9.8.0+24564+e55418dc.i686::ruby:4.0, ruby-4.0.6-34.module+el9.8.0+24564+e55418dc.ppc64le::ruby:4.0 +47
- RHSA-2026:50828 Released 2026-08-05 · Red Hat rating Importantruby:3.3 security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) ruby-3.3.12-8.module+el9.8.0+24568+2bbebe96.aarch64::ruby:3.3, ruby-3.3.12-8.module+el9.8.0+24568+2bbebe96.i686::ruby:3.3, ruby-3.3.12-8.module+el9.8.0+24568+2bbebe96.ppc64le::ruby:3.3 +47
- RHSA-2026:50778 Released 2026-08-05 · Red Hat rating Importantruby security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) ruby-3.3.12-14.el10_2, ruby-bundled-gems-3.3.12-14.el10_2, ruby-default-gems-3.3.12-14.el10_2 +20
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) ruby-doc-3.3.12-14.el10_2
Show 6 more Red Hat advisories
- RHSA-2026:50773 Released 2026-08-05 · Red Hat rating Importantruby4.0 security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) ruby4.0-4.0.6-36.el10_2, ruby4.0-devel-4.0.6-36.el10_2, ruby4.0-rubygem-mysql2-0.5.7-36.el10_2 +1
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) ruby4.0-doc-4.0.6-36.el10_2
- RHSA-2026:50728 Released 2026-08-05 · Red Hat rating Importantruby:3.3 security, bug fix, and enhancement update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) ruby-3.3.12-8.module+el8.10.0+24567+c4e5368e.aarch64::ruby:3.3, ruby-3.3.12-8.module+el8.10.0+24567+c4e5368e.i686::ruby:3.3, ruby-3.3.12-8.module+el8.10.0+24567+c4e5368e.ppc64le::ruby:3.3 +47
- RHSA-2026:38694 Released 2026-07-13 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update
- Red Hat Hardened Images ruby3.4-3.4.10-31.hum1@aarch64, ruby3.4-3.4.10-31.hum1@src, ruby3.4-3.4.10-31.hum1@x86_64 +46
- RHSA-2026:33721 Released 2026-06-30 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update
- Red Hat Hardened Images ruby3.3-3.3.10-23.2.hum1@aarch64, ruby3.3-3.3.10-23.2.hum1@src, ruby3.3-3.3.10-23.2.hum1@x86_64 +46
- RHSA-2026:33552 Released 2026-06-30 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update
- Red Hat Hardened Images ruby3.4-3.4.8-31.2.hum1@aarch64, ruby3.4-3.4.8-31.2.hum1@src, ruby3.4-3.4.8-31.2.hum1@x86_64 +46
- RHSA-2026:33551 Released 2026-06-30 · Red Hat rating ImportantRed Hat Hardened Images RPMs Security Update
- Red Hat Hardened Images ruby4.0-4.0.0-33.4.hum1@aarch64, ruby4.0-4.0.0-33.4.hum1@src, ruby4.0-4.0.0-33.4.hum1@x86_64 +46
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat 3scale API Management Platform 2 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:50773, RHSA-2026:50778 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 8) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:50728 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:50827, RHSA-2026:50828 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) | Fixed | RHSA-2026:50773, RHSA-2026:50778 |
| Red Hat Hardened Images | Fixed | RHSA-2026:33551, RHSA-2026:33552, RHSA-2026:33721, RHSA-2026:38694 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-42256
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Patch 3
Advisory 2
Other 6
- https://github.com/ruby/net-imap/releases/tag/v0.4.24
- https://github.com/ruby/net-imap/releases/tag/v0.5.14
- https://github.com/ruby/net-imap/releases/tag/v0.6.4
- https://github.com/ruby/net-imap
- https://github.com/rubysec/ruby-advisory-db/blob/master/gems/net-imap/CVE-2026-42256.yml
- https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7804.html#page-15
More ruby Net vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-30563 net-imap vulnerable to STARTTLS stripping via invalid response timing CVSS 4.0HIGH 7.6
- TI-2026-30574 net-imap: Command Injection via unvalidated Symbol inputs CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 5.8
- TI-2025-28441 net-imap rubygem vulnerable to possible DoS by memory exhaustion CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 6.0
- TI-2026-30573 net-imap: Command Injection via "raw" arguments to multiple commands CVSS 4.0MEDIUM 5.8
- TI-2026-30562 net-imap: Quadratic complexity when reading response literals CVSS 4.0LOW 2.3
Sources
- CVE-2026-42256 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-42256 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-87pf-fpwv-p7m7 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-42256 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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