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CVE-2011-1720

The SMTP server in Postfix before 2.5.13, 2.6.x before 2.6.10, 2.7.x before 2.7.4, and 2.8.x...

6.8 MediumFix available

The SMTP server in Postfix before 2.5.13, 2.6.x before 2.6.10, 2.7.x before 2.7.4, and 2.8.x before 2.8.3, when certain Cyrus SASL authentication methods are enabled, does not create a new server handle after client authentication fails, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption and daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via an invalid AUTH command with one method followed by an AUTH command with a different method.

Exploit likelihood

21.5%Down 20.4 points since Feb 4, 2022
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 6.8

The SMTP server in Postfix before 2.5.13, 2.6.x before 2.6.10, 2.7.x before 2.7.4, and 2.8.x before 2.8.3, when certain Cyrus SASL authentication methods are enabled, does not create a new server handle after client authentication fails, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption and daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via an invalid AUTH command with one method followed by an AUTH command with a different method.

Record
CVE-2011-1720
CVSS 2.0
6.8 MediumAV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Weakness
CWE-119
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List No score

The SMTP server in Postfix before 2.5.13, 2.6.x before 2.6.10, 2.7.x before 2.7.4, and 2.8.x before 2.8.3, when certain Cyrus SASL authentication methods are enabled, does not create a new server handle after client authentication fails, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption and daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via an invalid AUTH command with one method followed by an AUTH command with a different method.

Record
CVE-2011-1720
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2011-1719 No score

The SMTP server in Postfix before 2.5.13, 2.6.x before 2.6.10, 2.7.x before 2.7.4, and 2.8.x before 2.8.3, when certain Cyrus SASL authentication methods are enabled, does not create a new server handle after client authentication fails, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption and daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via an invalid AUTH command with one method followed by an AUTH command with a different method.

Record
EUVD-2011-1719
Updated
2026-11-03
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-8j5r-6hhw-hf9g No score

The SMTP server in Postfix before 2.5.13, 2.6.x before 2.6.10, 2.7.x before 2.7.4, and 2.8.x...

The SMTP server in Postfix before 2.5.13, 2.6.x before 2.6.10, 2.7.x before 2.7.4, and 2.8.x before 2.8.3, when certain Cyrus SASL authentication methods are enabled, does not create a new server handle after client authentication fails, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption and daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via an invalid AUTH command with one method followed by an AUTH command with a different method.

Record
GHSA-8j5r-6hhw-hf9g
Weakness
CWE-119
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV No score

The SMTP server in Postfix before 2.5.13, 2.6.x before 2.6.10, 2.7.x before 2.7.4, and 2.8.x before 2.8.3, when certain Cyrus SASL authentication methods are enabled, does not create a new server handle after client authentication fails, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption and daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via an invalid AUTH command with one method followed by an AUTH command with a different method.

Record
CVE-2011-1720
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2011-1720 No score

The SMTP server in Postfix before 2.5.13, 2.6.x before 2.6.10, 2.7.x before 2.7.4, and 2.8.x before 2.8.3, when certain Cyrus SASL authentication methods are enabled, does not create a new server handle after client authentication fails, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap memory corruption and daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via an invalid AUTH command with one method followed by an AUTH command with a different method.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2011-1720
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
postfix
Debian:12
 before 2.8.3-1
2.8.3-1
postfix
Debian:13
 before 2.8.3-1
2.8.3-1
postfix
Debian:14
 before 2.8.3-1
2.8.3-1
postfix
Debian:5.0
From an advisory covering 2 CVEs
 before 2.5.5-1.1+lenny1, plus listed versions
2.5.5-1.1
2.5.5-1.1+lenny1
postfix
Debian:6.0
From an advisory covering 2 CVEs
 before 2.7.1-1+squeeze1, plus listed versions
2.7.1-1
2.7.1-1+squeeze1
postfix
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix-pflogsumm
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::as
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
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Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
postfix-pflogsumm
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::desktop
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix-pflogsumm
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::es
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix-pflogsumm
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:4::ws
 before 2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
2:2.2.10-1.5.el4
postfix
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server
 before 2:2.3.3-2.3.el5_6
2:2.3.3-2.3.el5_6
postfix-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server
 before 2:2.3.3-2.3.el5_6
2:2.3.3-2.3.el5_6
postfix-pflogsumm
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:5::server
 before 2:2.3.3-2.3.el5_6
2:2.3.3-2.3.el5_6
postfix
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server
 before 2:2.6.6-2.2.el6_1
2:2.6.6-2.2.el6_1
postfix-debuginfo
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server
 before 2:2.6.6-2.2.el6_1
2:2.6.6-2.2.el6_1
postfix-perl-scripts
Red Hat:enterprise_linux:6::server
 before 2:2.6.6-2.2.el6_1
2:2.6.6-2.2.el6_1

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected, facts
aliasesEUVD
first indexedCVE List, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2011-1720 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.8) in Postfix, published May 10, 2011. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 21.5%, the 97th percentile. Fixed in postfix 2.8.3-1.

References

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