Slow IMAP command handling in hMailServer allows denial of service
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-407.
Summary
Progressive Robot Ltd hMailServer from 6.0.0 before 6.3.6 processes several IMAP commands in time that grows quadratically with the command length or the number of elements it names. A signed-in user can send such commands to make the IMAP, SMTP and POP3 services stop responding and to consume excessive memory (CWE-407).
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29
Description from the CNA
Progressive Robot hMailServer 6.0.0 through 6.3.5 processes several IMAP commands from a signed-in account in time quadratic in the command's length or in the number of elements it names, and can be made to hold memory out of proportion to a command. The FETCH data-item parser normalised a BODY[] section with a case-insensitive string replacement that copied the whole item per occurrence and split the item list by repeatedly copying the remainder of the command; the server's case-insensitive search compared a needle afresh at every position, so a long SEARCH TEXT key over a message cost the product of the two lengths; SEARCH message sets and the saved-result marker ($), SORT criteria, HEADER.FIELDS name lists and UID ranges were each read once per message rather than once per command; and a FETCH naming a message's sections very many times read and held every section in memory before sending any. An IMAP command may continue past one line through non-synchronizing literals, so one command can reach about eleven megabytes. The IMAP worker threads are a small pool shared with SMTP and POP3, so a signed-in user sending such commands can make the IMAP, SMTP and POP3 services stop responding (CWE-407) and can consume excessive memory (CWE-400).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Robot Ltd | hMailServer | 6.0.0 to before 6.3.6 | 6.3.6 | Patch available | CNA |
- hMailServer VendorProgressive Robot Ltd Affected 6.0.0 to before 6.3.6 Fixed in 6.3.6 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Upgrade hMailServer to version 6.3.6, the fixed version for the affected 6.0.0 through 6.3.5 range.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-29
- Fix · CNA hMailServer (Progressive Robot Ltd) Fixed in 6.3.6
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Release ·
Progressive Robot hMailServer 6.3.6
23 records Highest priority Priority LOW 23 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2026-69567 Inefficient processing in hMailServer stalls mail deliveryPriority LOW 39
- TI-2026-69565 Infinite loop in hMailServer MIME handling lets attackers stop mailPriority LOW 39
- TI-2026-69564 Inefficient DKIM and ARC checks in hMailServer cause denial of servicePriority LOW 39
Timeline
- 2026-10-08 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-107581
References
More Progressive Robot Ltd vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-64884 Improper Neutralization of Directives in Dynamically Evaluated Code ('Eval Injection') in hMailServer CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-76418 Unchecked loop limit in hMailServer lets remote attackers stop mail CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-69567 Inefficient processing in hMailServer stalls mail delivery CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-69565 Infinite loop in hMailServer MIME handling lets attackers stop mail CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-69564 Inefficient DKIM and ARC checks in hMailServer cause denial of service CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-69562 Inefficient JSON parsing in hMailServer lets attackers halt mail CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences