CVE-2021-38542 json
Apache James vulnerable to STARTTLS command injection (IMAP and POP3)
published 2022-01-04 4 y ago modified 2026-09-10 1 mo ago also GHSA-84wg-rgp8-2hg4 , EUVD-2022-0517
- cvss
- 5.9
- version 3.1, NVD
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 2.3%
- EPSS 2.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 83%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
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.
Patch / fix
- maven org.apache.james:james-server 3.6.1
- Apache Software Foundation Apache James 3.6.1
Exploit prediction
2.35% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 83% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVD | 3.1 | 5.9 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
| NVD | 2.0 | 4.3 | AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N |
| GitHub | 3.1 | 5.9 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
Affected packages
| ecosystem | package | affected | fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| maven | org.apache.james:james-server | <3.6.1 |
3.6.1 |
Affected products
- Apache Software Foundation Apache James
Classification
References
-
openwall.com
/lists/oss-security/2022/01/04/1
web, mailing-list, third-party-advisory
-
openwall.com
/lists/oss-security/2022/01/04/1
mailing-list, web, third-party-advisory
-
openwall.com
/lists/oss-security/2022/09/20/1
mailing-list, web, third-party-advisory
-
nvd.nist.gov
/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38542
advisory
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2021-38542
- GitHub Advisory GHSA-84wg-rgp8-2hg4
- NVD CVE-2021-38542
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