Debian LinuxOperating system · Debian
CVE-2020-13965
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 issue was discovered in Roundcube Webmail before 1.3.12 and 1.4.x before 1.4.5. There is XSS via a malicious XML attachment because text/xml is among the allowed types for a preview.
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 confidenceRoundcube Webmail versions before 1.3.12 and 1.4.x before 1.4.5 allow XSS attacks via malicious XML attachments. The vulnerability exists because text/xml is an allowed MIME type for attachment previews, enabling attackers to inject malicious scripts that execute when users view the attachment preview.
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
Debian LinuxOperating system
= 9.0= 10.0
FedoraOperating system
= 31= 32< 1.3.12>= 1.4.0, < 1.4.5CVSS 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
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
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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Check installed Roundcube versionLocate and examine the Roundcube version file (typically found in program/include/ or the root installation directory), or view the version displayed on the Roundcube login page footer. Compare this version number against the affected ranges: < 1.3.12, or >= 1.4.0 and < 1.4.5Affected if The installed version falls within < 1.3.12 or >= 1.4.0 and < 1.4.5
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Verify attachment preview feature is enabledExamine the Roundcube configuration file (config/main.inc.php or config/defaults.inc.php) for the 'preview' or 'attachments_preview' setting, or check via the Roundcube web interface under Settings > Preferences > Mailbox viewAffected if Attachment preview feature is enabled and allowing preview for email attachments
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Confirm XML MIME type handling in previewCheck the Roundcube configuration for allowed MIME types in preview functionality, specifically looking for text/xml or application/xml entries in the attachment type whitelist or preview settingsAffected if XML MIME types (text/xml or application/xml) are permitted or not explicitly blocked in the attachment preview configuration
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Check operating system package version (if using distribution packages)For Debian systems, run 'dpkg -l | grep roundcube' or 'apt show roundcube'. For Fedora systems, run 'rpm -qa | grep roundcube' or 'dnf info roundcube'. Compare against affected Debian 9.0/10.0 or Fedora 31/32Affected if Distribution-packaged Roundcube is installed from the affected Debian 9.0, 10.0, or Fedora 31, 32 packages
You are affected if your Roundcube version is below 1.3.12 or between 1.4.0 and 1.4.5, AND the attachment preview feature is enabled with XML MIME types permitted for preview.
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 · scoped1.3.121.4.5
Upgrade Roundcube Webmail to version 1.3.12 or 1.4.5 or later. Alternatively, disable XML attachment previews or restrict allowed MIME types in the configuration.
Upgrade to Roundcube Webmail 1.3.12 or 1.4.5
- 1. Identify your current Roundcube Webmail version by checking the program/include.php file or running 'roundcube --version' if available
- 2. Back up your entire Roundcube installation directory and database before proceeding
- 3. For Debian systems: Run 'apt update && apt install roundcube-webmail' to get the latest available package, or manually download and install the fixed version
- 4. For Fedora systems: Run 'dnf update roundcube' to apply the security update
- 5. For manual installation: Download Roundcube Webmail 1.3.12 (for 1.3.x branch) or 1.4.5 (for 1.4.x branch) from the official Roundcube repository (roundcube.net/download)
- 6. Extract the new version over your existing installation, preserving your configuration (config/main.inc.php and config/db.inc.php)
- 7. Clear any cache directories (temp/ and cache/ folders) to ensure the new code is used
- 8. Verify the installation was successful by logging into the webmail interface
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Debian Linux
Exploited in the wild — priority engagement
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 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 $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2020-13965 — 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-2020-13965 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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