CVE-2021-38542: Apache James vulnerable to STARTTLS command injection (IMAP and POP3)

Severity: medium (CVSS 5.9 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 2.3% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2022-01-04 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-77

Description

Apache James prior to release 3.6.1 is vulnerable to a buffering attack relying on the use of the STARTTLS command. This can result in Man-in -the-middle command injection attacks, leading potentially to leakage of sensible information.

Affected products

Apache Software Foundation Apache James: before 3.6.1 — fixed in 3.6.1

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Apache Software Foundation Apache James 3.6.1. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/04/1
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/09/20/1
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/04/1
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/04/1
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/09/20/1
https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2022/01/04/1

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