CVE-2011-1904
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 · uneditedAn unspecified function in the web interface in Proofpoint Messaging Security Gateway 6.2.0.263:6.2.0.237 and earlier in Proofpoint Protection Server 5.5.3, 5.5.4, 5.5.5, 6.0.2, 6.1.1, and 6.2.0 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via unknown vectors, related to a "command injection" issue.
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 confidenceA command injection vulnerability exists in an unspecified function of the web interface for Proofpoint Messaging Security Gateway and Proofpoint Protection Server. Remote attackers can execute arbitrary commands on the affected system via the web interface without authentication, achieving HIGH severity (CVSS 7.5).
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<= 6.2.0.263\:6.2.0.237= 5.5.3= 5.5.4= 5.5.5= 6.0.2= 6.1.1= 6.2.0CVSS 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
- Partial
- Availability
- Partial
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
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 the installed Proofpoint productAccess the web interface login page or check system documentation. The product name is displayed on the login page or can be obtained via command line: 'ps aux | grep -i proofpoint' or checking /etc/proofpoint/release file if accessible.Affected if The installed product is Proofpoint Messaging Security Gateway or Proofpoint Protection Server
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Determine the installed versionCheck the version through the web interface (usually displayed in the login page footer or admin panel) or via command line: 'cat /etc/proofpoint/version' or checking the about page in the admin console.Affected if Version is Proofpoint Messaging Security Gateway <= 6.2.0.263 (specifically build 6.2.0.237) OR Proofpoint Protection Server version 5.5.3, 5.5.4, 5.5.5, 6.0.2, 6.1.1, or 6.2.0
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Verify the web interface is accessibleAttempt to access the web interface over HTTPS or HTTP on the default ports (typically 10000, 443, or 8443) from a network location. Check if the management interface responds to requests.Affected if The web interface responds and is reachable from your network location
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Confirm no authentication is required for command injectionSend a crafted request to the web interface to test for the vulnerability. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated command execution via an unspecified function in the web interface.Affected if Arbitrary commands can be executed through the web interface without providing valid credentials
You are affected if the installed product is Proofpoint Messaging Security Gateway (versions up to 6.2.0.263/6.2.0.237) or Proofpoint Protection Server (versions 5.5.3-6.2.0) AND the web interface is accessible without requiring authentication.
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 vendor-supplied patches or upgrades to the affected Proofpoint versions. As an interim measure, restrict network access to the management web interface to trusted IPs only, and deploy a WAF to filter malicious requests.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,504.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2011-1904 — 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-2011-1904 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
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