CVE-2005-3189
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedDirectory traversal vulnerability in Qualcomm WorldMail IMAP Server allows remote attackers to read arbitrary email messages via ".." sequences in the SELECT command.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceDirectory traversal vulnerability in Qualcomm WorldMail IMAP Server allows remote attackers to read arbitrary email messages by using '..' sequences in the SELECT command. The server fails to properly sanitize mailbox path inputs, enabling attackers to escape the intended mailbox directory and access other users' email files.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 3.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Partial
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify if Qualcomm WorldMail IMAP Server is installedCheck running services or installed programs for WorldMail IMAP Server. On Windows, check Services control panel or review installed software for 'Qualcomm Worldmail' or 'WorldMail' entries.Affected if The software is present on the system and the IMAP service is running.
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Determine the installed version of WorldMail IMAP ServerCheck the version of the installed WorldMail software. This may be visible in the service properties, about dialog, or by reviewing the executable's file properties (typically in the installation directory). The affected version is specifically 3.0.Affected if The installed version is exactly 3.0.
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Verify the IMAP service is listening and accessibleCheck if the IMAP service is running and bound to a network interface. Use netstat or similar tools to verify port 143 (IMAP) or port 993 (IMAPS) is listening and accessible from network locations.Affected if The IMAP service is running and exposed on a network port.
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Confirm IMAP SELECT command handlingWhile this vulnerability is exploitation-specific, the presence of the unpatched version combined with accessible IMAP service indicates susceptibility. There is no configuration flag to disable this vulnerable path handling.Affected if All three conditions are true: WorldMail IMAP Server version 3.0 is installed, the IMAP service is running, and the service is network-accessible.
A system is affected if Qualcomm WorldMail IMAP Server version 3.0 is installed and the IMAP service is running and accessible on the network.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataApply available patches from Qualcomm for WorldMail IMAP Server; if patches are unavailable due to EOL status, consider migrating to a supported IMAP server solution or implement network-level access controls to limit IMAP service exposure.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2005-3189 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2005-3189 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data