SpamassassinApplication · Apache
CVE-2018-11780
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 · uneditedA potential Remote Code Execution bug exists with the PDFInfo plugin in Apache SpamAssassin before 3.4.2.
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 remote code execution vulnerability exists in the PDFInfo plugin of Apache SpamAssassin versions prior to 3.4.2. The plugin processes PDF files and contains a flaw that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, likely through maliciously crafted PDF file content that triggers unsafe operations.
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
SpamassassinApplication
< 3.4.2
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
= 12.04= 14.04= 16.04= 18.04
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 8.0all versionsCVSS 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.
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Identify Apache SpamAssassin versionRun 'spamassassin --version' or check your package manager for the installed spamassassin package versionAffected if The installed version number is lower than 3.4.2
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Locate the PDFInfo plugin configurationCheck SpamAssassin configuration files (typically in /etc/mail/spamassassin/ or /etc/spamassassin/) for lines containing 'PDFInfo' or 'loadplugin' referencing PDFInfoAffected if The PDFInfo plugin is loaded or enabled in any configuration file
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Verify PDFInfo plugin is activeRun 'spamassassin -D --lint 2>&1 | grep -i pdf' to see if the PDFInfo plugin is being loaded during SpamAssassin initializationAffected if The plugin loads without errors and is actively initialized
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Check for pdfinfo utility dependencyLocate the pdfinfo binary on the system (often in /usr/bin/pdfinfo or via 'which pdfinfo') - this utility is used by the plugin to process PDF attachmentsAffected if The pdfinfo utility is present on the system and the PDFInfo plugin is enabled
You are affected if Apache SpamAssassin version is lower than 3.4.2 AND the PDFInfo plugin is enabled and loaded in your configuration, as this combination allows malicious PDF files to trigger arbitrary code execution.
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.
dbcve · scoped3.4.2
Upgrade Apache SpamAssassin to version 3.4.2 or later. If the PDFInfo plugin is not required, consider disabling it to reduce attack surface.
SpamAssassin 3.4.2
- Check current SpamAssassin version using 'spamassassin --version' or your package manager
- Upgrade SpamAssassin to version 3.4.2 or later using your system's package manager (e.g., apt-get update && apt-get install spamassassin, yum update spamassassin, or dnf update spamassassin)
- Restart the spamassassin service after upgrading
- Verify the new version is installed: spamassassin --version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Spamassassin
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-11780 — 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-2018-11780 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