CVE-2008-2711

fetchmail 6.3.8 and earlier, when running in -v -v (aka verbose) mode, allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash and persistent mail failure) via a malformed mail message with long headers, which triggers an erroneous dereference when using vsnprintf to format log messages.

Published: 2008-06-16 Last update: 2026-04-23 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2008-2711 is rated Moderate Risk (46.8/100): CVSS Medium severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 3.00%). Mandatory action: Review affected assets and schedule remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2008-2711

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 3.32% 3.00% -0.31%
2 2025-03-30 6.44% 3.32% -3.12%
3 2025-03-29 6.44%

Full EPSS history (12 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2008-2711

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
4.3 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:M)
Exploitation needs some favorable conditions, but not exceptional ones.
Authentication (AU:N)
No authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:N)
No confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:N)
No integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
8.6 2.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2008-2711

OS Trackers for CVE-2008-2711

vendor priority summary link
debian unimportant CVE-2008-2711 unimportant priority: Debian including 1 source packages (fetchmail), 5 status rows across 5 suites (bookworm, bullseye, forky, sid, trixie): resolved 5. https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2008-2711
redhat low https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2008-2711
ubuntu negligible CVE-2008-2711 negligible priority: Ubuntu including 1 source packages (fetchmail), 15 status rows across 15 suites (dapper, feisty, gutsy, hardy, intrepid, jaunty, karmic, lucid, maverick, natty, oneiric, precise, quantal, raring, upstream): not-affected 10, ignored 4, needs-triage 1. https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2008-2711

Vendor comments (NVD) for CVE-2008-2711

  • Red Hat (2009-09-09T00:00:00)

    This issue was addressed in fetchmail packages as shipped in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3, 4, and 5 via: https://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2009-1427.html

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2008-2711

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
fetchmail fetchmail <= 6.3.8 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.5.1 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.5.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.5.2 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.5.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.5.3 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.5.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.5.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.5.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.5.5 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.5.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.5.6 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.5.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.5.7 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.5.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.5.8 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.5.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.1 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.2 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.3 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.5 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.6 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.7 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.8 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.6.9 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.6.9:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.7.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.7.1 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.7.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.7.2 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.7.3 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.7.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.7.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.7.5 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.7.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.7.6 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.7.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 4.7.7 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:4.7.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.0.1 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.0.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.0.2 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.0.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.0.3 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.0.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.0.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.0.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.0.5 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.0.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.0.6 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.0.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.0.7 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.0.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.0.8 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.0.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.1.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.1.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.1.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.1.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.2.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.2.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.2.1 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.2.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.2.3 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.2.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.2.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.2.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.2.7 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.2.7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.2.8 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.2.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.3.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.3.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.3.1 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.3.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.3.3 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.3.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.3.8 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.3.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.4.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.4.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.4.3 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.4.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.4.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.4.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.4.5 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.4.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.5.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.5.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.5.2 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.5.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.5.3 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.5.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.5.5 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.5.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.5.6 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.5.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.6.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.6.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.7.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.7.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.7.2 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.7.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.7.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.7.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.1 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.1:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.2 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.3 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.3:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.5 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.6 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.6:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.11 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.13 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.14 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.14:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.8.17 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.8.17:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.9.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.9.4 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.9.4:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.9.5 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.9.5:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.9.8 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.9.8:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.9.10 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.9.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.9.11 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.9.11:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 5.9.13 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:5.9.13:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
fetchmail fetchmail 6.0.0 cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:6.0.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

References for CVE-2008-2711

URL Tags
http://lists.apple.com/archives/security-announce/2009/Feb/msg00000.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/30742 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/30895 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/31262 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/31287 Vendor Advisory
http://secunia.com/advisories/33937 Vendor Advisory
http://slackware.com/security/viewer.php?l=slackware-security&y=2008&m=slackware-security.495740
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3438
http://wiki.rpath.com/wiki/Advisories:rPSA-2008-0235
http://www.fetchmail.info/fetchmail-SA-2008-01.txt
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2008:117
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2008/06/13/1
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/08/09/1
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/493391/100/0/threaded
http://www.securityfocus.com/archive/1/494865/100/0/threaded
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/29705
http://www.securitytracker.com/id?1020298
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2008/1860/references
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/0422
https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=354291
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/43121
https://issues.rpath.com/browse/RPL-2623
https://oval.cisecurity.org/repository/search/definition/oval%3Aorg.mitre.oval%3Adef%3A10950
https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-package-announce/2008-June/msg01091.html
https://www.redhat.com/archives/fedora-package-announce/2008-June/msg01095.html
cvelogic Threat Intelligence