CVE-2017-12639
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 · uneditedStack based buffer overflow in Ipswitch IMail server up to and including 12.5.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via unspecified vectors in IMmailSrv, aka ETRE or ETCTERARED.
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 confidenceA stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Ipswitch IMail server versions up to and including 12.5.5 within the IMmailSrv component. The vulnerability allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code by exploiting unspecified vectors related to the ETRE/ETCTERARED issue, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
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<= 12.5.5CVSS 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
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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.
-
Confirm Ipswitch IMail Server is installedCheck for IMail installation directory (typically C:\Program Files\Ipswitch\IMail or C:\IMail) and look for imailsrv.exe or related binariesAffected if IMail Server is installed on the system
-
Determine the installed IMail Server versionLocate version information in the installation: check imailsrv.exe right-click properties > Details tab, or look for a version.txt/readme file in the IMail directoryAffected if The version is 12.5.5 or lower (any version up to and including 12.5.5)
-
Verify the IMmailSrv service is runningOpen Windows Services (services.msc) and look for a service named 'IMmailSrv' or check via command: sc query imailsrvAffected if The IMmailSrv service is present and running on the server
-
Check network exposure of IMmailSrv componentUse netstat -an | findstr /i "listen" or check firewall rules to determine which ports IMmailSrv is listening on; common IMail ports include 25, 110, 143, 993, 995, 8181Affected if IMmailSrv is bound to a network-accessible IP and listening on exposed ports to untrusted networks
-
Assess authentication and access controls on the ETRE/ETCTERARED serviceReview IMail server configuration for any ETRE or ETCTERARED service settings and verify whether anonymous/unauthenticated access is permittedAffected if The ETRE/ETCTERARED functionality is enabled and accessible without authentication
A system is affected if Ipswitch IMail Server version 12.5.5 or lower is installed with the IMmailSrv service running and exposed to the network, particularly if the ETRE/ETCTERARED service allows unauthenticated access.
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 the vendor patch from Ipswitch to obtain a version beyond 12.5.5; if patching is delayed, restrict network access to IMmailSrv services via firewall rules or network segmentation to limit exposure to untrusted networks.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 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 $6,176.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2017-12639 — 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-2017-12639 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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