CVE-2019-3814: High severity Dovecot dovecot vulnerability

Published Feb 7, 2019
·
Updated

It was discovered that Dovecot before versions 2.2.36.1 and 2.3.4.1 incorrectly handled client certificates. A remote attacker in possession of a valid certificate with an empty username field could possibly use this issue to impersonate other users.

Other sources

It was discovered that Dovecot incorrectly handled client certificates. A remote attacker in possession of a valid certificate with an empty username field could possibly use this issue to impersonate other users.

References: https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/source-package/dovecot https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-3881-1 https://usn.ubuntu.com/usn/usn-3881-2

— Red Hat

Affected Software

11 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/dovecot<2.2.36.1
2.2.36.1
redhat/dovecot<2.3.4.1
2.3.4.1
Dovecot dovecot>=1.1.0<2.2.36.1
Dovecot dovecot>=2.3.0<2.3.4.1
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=18.10
openSUSE Leap=42.3
debian/dovecot
1:2.3.13+dfsg1-2+deb11u11:2.3.13+dfsg1-2+deb11u41:2.3.19.1+dfsg1-2.1+deb12u61:2.4.1+dfsg1-6+deb13u61:2.4.4+dfsg1-2

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/dovecot to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.2.36.1
  2. Upgrade

    Upgrade redhat/dovecot to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.3.4.1
  3. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/dovecot to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 1:2.3.13+dfsg1-2+deb11u1Fixed in 1:2.3.13+dfsg1-2+deb11u4Fixed in 1:2.3.19.1+dfsg1-2.1+deb12u6Fixed in 1:2.4.1+dfsg1-6+deb13u6Fixed in 1:2.4.4+dfsg1-2
  4. Upgrade

    Upgrade dovecot to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.2.36.1
  5. Upgrade

    Upgrade dovecot to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 2.3.4.1

Event History

Mar 27, 2019
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:20 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:20 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·01:29 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Feb 23, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·04:01 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·04:02 PM
Description
Aug 4, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·08:09 PM
DescriptionAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2019-3814?

CVE-2019-3814 is a vulnerability in Dovecot that incorrectly handles client certificates, allowing a remote attacker to impersonate other users.

2

What is the severity of CVE-2019-3814?

The severity of CVE-2019-3814 is high, with a severity value of 6.8.

3

How does CVE-2019-3814 affect Dovecot?

CVE-2019-3814 affects Dovecot versions 2.2.36.1 and 2.3.4.1.

4

How can an attacker exploit CVE-2019-3814?

An attacker in possession of a valid certificate with an empty username field can exploit CVE-2019-3814 to impersonate other users.

5

Are there any remedies available for CVE-2019-3814?

Yes, updating to Dovecot versions 2.2.36.1 or 2.3.4.1 can fix CVE-2019-3814.

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