Mailu: Authentication bypass in header-based proxy authentication via spoofable `X-Forwarded-By` trust
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Security bypass
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-290.
Summary
Mailu is a mail server distributed as a set of Docker images. From Mailu 2.0 until 2024.06.55 and prior to Mailu helm-charts 2.7.3, deployments with PROXY_AUTH_WHITELIST configured but REAL_IP_HEADER unset trusted a client-controlled X-Forwarded-By header for header-based proxy authentication. The proxy_hide_header directive in the nginx template at core/nginx/conf/proxy.conf hid the header from upstream responses but did not overwrite the incoming request value in this configuration. An unauthenticated remote attacker could therefore spoof the trusted proxy identity and bypass authentication. This issue is fixed in Mailu 2024.06.55 and Mailu helm-charts 2.7.3.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- Yes
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Mailu (Mailu) Fixed in 2024.06.55
- Fix · CNA helm-charts (Mailu) Fixed in 2.7.3
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-85751
References
Other 6
- https://github.com/Mailu/Mailu/security/advisories/GHSA-rfhj-4wcq-74xg
- https://github.com/Mailu/Mailu/pull/4070
- https://github.com/Mailu/Mailu/pull/4071
- https://github.com/Mailu/Mailu/commit/dffa97cbd889ab208246372ce9c86e99abb27ae9
- https://github.com/Mailu/Mailu/commit/ff4003d045753013470945336448dbd790cac778
- https://github.com/Mailu/Mailu/releases/tag/2024.06.55
More Mailu vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-75367 Mailu lets domain managers enable spoofing on other hosted domains CVSS 4.0HIGH 8.2
- TI-2020-04295 Unspecified vulnerability in the fetchmail script in Mailu CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2026-36418 Mailu missing authentication on PATCH /api/v1/token/<id>, which allows unauthenticated removal of IP restrictions CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-75366 Mailu domain managers can take over higher-privileged accounts CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.2
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences