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SpamassassinApplication · Apache

CVE-2018-11805

MEDIUM · 6.7 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-12-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 3.4.3 or later.
See remediation →
69/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
In Apache SpamAssassin before 3.4.3, nefarious CF files can be configured to run system commands without any output or errors. With this, exploits can be injected in a number of scenarios. In addition to upgrading to SA 3.4.3, we recommend that users should only use update channels or 3rd party .cf files from trusted places.

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

Apache SpamAssassin before 3.4.3 contains a command injection vulnerability where malicious CF (configuration) files can be configured to execute arbitrary system commands without producing any output or errors, allowing stealthy exploitation in multiple attack scenarios.

MitigationUpgrade to Apache SpamAssassin 3.4.3 or later and audit/remove any untrusted third-party .cf configuration files, only using update channels from trusted sources.

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
Affected:< 3.4.3
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 8.0= 9.0= 10.0

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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 checks

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

  1. Identify SpamAssassin version
    Run 'spamassassin --version' or check your package manager (dpkg -l | grep spamassassin, rpm -qa | grep spamassassin)
    Affected if The version number is lower than 3.4.3
  2. Locate CF configuration files
    Search for .cf files in typical locations: /etc/mail/spamassassin/, /var/lib/spamassassin/, ~/.spamassassin/, and any custom paths configured in spamassassin.conf
    Affected if Any .cf files exist from untrusted or third-party sources outside official update channels
  3. Check for custom rule files
    Review /etc/mail/spamassassin/local.cf and any included .cf files for non-standard directives, especially those that might invoke external programs (pipe, exec, etc.)
    Affected if Custom or non-standard rules are present that were not obtained from trusted sources
  4. Verify SpamAssassin update channels
    Check sa-update configuration and any user_prefs file for trusted update channels; look for entries in /etc/spamassassin/ or ~/.spamassassin/
    Affected if Updates are configured from untrusted or unofficial sources
  5. Confirm SpamAssassin is deployed
    Determine if spamd daemon or spamassassin command-line tool is actively used in your mail processing pipeline
    Affected if SpamAssassin is installed and processing mail, as the vulnerability requires CF files to be loaded at runtime

You are affected if SpamAssassin version is below 3.4.3 AND your environment loads CF configuration files from any source other than official trusted repositories.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 3.4.3 or later
Fixed in 3.4.3
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to Apache SpamAssassin 3.4.3 or later and audit/remove any untrusted third-party .cf configuration files, only using update channels from trusted sources.

Fix this in Spamassassin Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.

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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-2018-11805 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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