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GroupwiseApplication · Novell

CVE-2009-1636

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2009-05-26
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Multiple buffer overflows in the Internet Agent (aka GWIA) component in Novell GroupWise 7.x before 7.03 HP3 and 8.x before 8.0 HP2 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via (1) a crafted e-mail address in an SMTP session or (2) an SMTP 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 · high confidence

Buffer overflow vulnerabilities in Novell GroupWise's Internet Agent (GWIA) allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by sending crafted e-mail addresses or SMTP commands. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without authentication, affecting versions 7.x before 7.03 HP3 and 8.x before 8.0 HP2.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied hot patches (HP3 for GroupWise 7.x, HP2 for GroupWise 8.x) to the GWIA component. If patching is not immediately possible, consider restricting SMTP access to trusted sources or implementing additional input validation at network perimeter.

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
GroupwiseApplication
Affected:= 7.0= 7.0.0= 7.0.2= 7.0.3= 7.01= 7.03= 8.0

CVSS 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
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm GroupWise Internet Agent (GWIA) is installed
    Locate the GWIA service or daemon on the system. Check for GroupWise-related processes or services running on SMTP ports (typically port 25). On Windows, check Services for 'GroupWise Internet Agent'; on Linux/NetWare, check for gwia process.
    Affected if GWIA is installed and running as an SMTP service
  2. Identify the installed GWIA version
    Run the GWIA version check command or examine the GWIA software properties. This is typically available through the GroupWise administration console, or by running 'gwia --version' or checking the software installation details in the system registry or package manager.
    Affected if Version cannot be determined or shows an unpatched 7.x or 8.x release
  3. Compare installed version against affected ranges
    Review the version number identified. Affected versions are GroupWise 7.x versions before 7.03 HP3, and GroupWise 8.x versions before 8.0 HP2. Specific vulnerable versions include 7.0, 7.0.0, 7.0.2, 7.0.3, 7.01, 7.03, and 8.0.
    Affected if Installed version is 7.x less than 7.03 HP3, or 8.x less than 8.0 HP2, or matches any of 7.0/7.0.0/7.0.2/7.0.3/7.01/7.03/8.0
  4. Verify whether SMTP/network exposure exists
    Check if GWIA is listening on SMTP ports (port 25 or configured SMTP port) and accessible from the network. Review firewall rules and GWIA configuration for bind addresses and allowed connect sources.
    Affected if GWIA SMTP service is exposed to untrusted network connections without filtering
  5. Confirm hot patch status
    Check the installed hotfixes or patches on the GWIA component. Look for evidence of HP3 (Hot Patch 3) applied to 7.x installations or HP2 applied to 8.x installations through the GroupWise administrator or system patch inventory.
    Affected if Neither HP3 (for 7.x) nor HP2 (for 8.x) hot patch is installed on an otherwise vulnerable version

A system is affected if it runs an unpatched GroupWise GWIA version 7.x before 7.03 HP3 or 8.x before 8.0 HP2, with SMTP network exposure.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied hot patches (HP3 for GroupWise 7.x, HP2 for GroupWise 8.x) to the GWIA component. If patching is not immediately possible, consider restricting SMTP access to trusted sources or implementing additional input validation at network perimeter.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

GroupWise 7.03 HP3 or later (for 7.x); GroupWise 8.0 HP2 or later (for 8.x)

  1. Identify the current GroupWise Internet Agent (GWIA) version by checking the GWIA installation or consulting the GroupWise administrator console
  2. Download the appropriate hot pack from Novell/ Micro Focus: GroupWise 7.03 HP3 for version 7.x systems, or GroupWise 8.0 HP2 for version 8.x systems
  3. Test the hot pack in a non-production environment first to verify compatibility with your specific GroupWise deployment
  4. Apply the hot pack to all servers running the GWIA component, following Novell/Micro Focus deployment documentation
  5. Restart the GWIA service after applying the patch
  6. Verify the patch was applied correctly by checking the GWIA version information
  7. Monitor for any issues in the days following deployment
Caveat HP (hot pack) updates are typically cumulative and include other fixes; review release notes for any known issues or configuration changes required

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Groupwise Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2009-1636 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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