CVE-2026-114478: Unintended Proxy or Intermediary ('Confused Deputy') in hMailServer

Published Oct 21, 2026
·
Updated

Insufficient preservation of the original sender in the forwarding of Progressive Robot hMailServer 6.0.0 through 6.3.6 allows a remote unauthenticated attacker to have mail they write, naming in its From an address at a domain the server hosts, delivered to other receivers as passing that domain's DMARC policy. When the server sent on a copy of mail that came from outside - an account's forward, a mail rule's forward, a Sieve redirect, a list's copy, or an alias or list expanding to an outside address - it could give the copy an SMTP identity in the organisation of the domain the copy's From names, whatever the message's origin: with the Sender Rewriting Scheme or the rewrite of the envelope sender on forwarding enabled (both off by default), an address at the forwarding domain; for a list, its bounce address; for a message with an empty envelope sender, none, under the server's own host name; and an envelope sender the message came with at a subdomain of a hosted domain was kept. Where that identity's SPF record authorises the server, other receivers' SPF check of the copy passed for a domain aligned with the From, and DMARC passed with it, although the message had not passed DMARC when the server received it. Exploitation needs a forward, redirect, alias or list that carries the hosted domain's mail to an outside address, and one of: SRS or the envelope rewrite enabled; a list whose bounce address is in the domain's organisation; an envelope sender at a subdomain whose SPF record authorises the server; or, for an empty envelope sender, an SPF record that authorises the server under its host name. The DKIM route to the same result is CVE-2026-107567.

Affected Software

1 affected component
Progressive Robot hMailServer>=6.0.0<=6.3.6

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade Progressive Robot hMailServer to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.3.7
  2. Configuration

    Keep the Sender Rewriting Scheme (SRS) and envelope-sender rewriting on forwarding disabled where they are not needed.

    hMailServer SRS and envelope sender rewrite on forwarding = off
  3. Configuration

    Enable ForwardAbortSpamFlagged for accounts that forward messages to outside addresses.

    hMailServer ForwardAbortSpamFlagged = enabled
  4. Configuration

    Set DMARCFailureScore at or above the spam delete threshold so messages failing a published quarantine or reject policy are refused or quarantined on arrival.

    hMailServer DMARCFailureScore = at or above the spam delete threshold

Event History

Oct 21, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:12 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:12 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeakness

Frequently Asked Questions

1

Which deployments are exposed to this issue?

The affected versions are hMailServer 6.0.0 through 6.3.6. Exposure requires the server to send a copy of inbound mail to an external recipient, such as through account forwarding, mail-rule forwarding, Sieve redirects, mailing-list delivery, or alias/list expansion.

2

What does an attacker need to do?

An attacker can be remote and unauthenticated. They need to submit a message naming an address at a domain hosted by the server in the From field and cause it to be forwarded or otherwise copied to an outside recipient.

3

When can the forwarded message pass DMARC at another receiver?

The SMTP identity used for the outgoing copy must be aligned with the From domain, and that identity's SPF record must authorize the hMailServer instance. Under those conditions, the receiving system's SPF check can pass and satisfy DMARC alignment.

4

Are the relevant forwarding rewrite settings enabled by default?

Sender Rewriting Scheme and envelope-sender rewriting on forwarding are both off by default. The issue description also identifies mailing-list bounce addresses, empty envelope senders, and retained subdomain envelope senders as cases that can affect the outgoing SMTP identity.

5

What version should be used to move out of the affected range?

The affected range ends at 6.3.6, and the provided references include the v6.3.7 release. Review forwarding, redirect, alias, and mailing-list paths when upgrading.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
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Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
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