JamesApplication · Apache
CVE-2021-38542
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 · uneditedApache James prior to release 3.6.1 is vulnerable to a buffering attack relying on the use of the STARTTLS command. This can result in Man-in -the-middle command injection attacks, leading potentially to leakage of sensible information.
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 confidenceApache James mail server prior to 3.6.1 contains a buffering vulnerability in its STARTTLS implementation that allows Man-in-the-middle attackers to inject commands by manipulating the TLS handshake buffering, potentially leading to sensitive information leakage.
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
JamesApplication
< 3.6.1CVSS 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
- High
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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.
-
Identify Apache James versionRun the version command for your Apache James installation (commonly via 'java -jar james.jar --version' or check startup logs) and note the exact version numberAffected if The installed version is lower than 3.6.1
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Verify STARTTLS is enabledInspect the James configuration files (typically server.xml or james-config.xml) for STARTTLS settings - look for 'starttls' or 'STARTTLS' entries in the SMTP/POP3/IMAP connector configurationsAffected if STARTTLS support is enabled in any mail protocol configuration (SMTP, POP3, or IMAP)
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Confirm protocol handlers using STARTTLSReview the mail server bind configuration to identify which protocols have STARTTLS advertised and activeAffected if SMTP, POP3, or IMAP services have STARTTLS advertised to clients
You are affected if Apache James version is below 3.6.1 AND STARTTLS is enabled on any of the mail protocol listeners.
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 · scoped3.6.1
Upgrade Apache James to version 3.6.1 or later to obtain the patched STARTTLS handling implementation.
Apache James 3.6.1
- 1. Back up your current Apache James configuration, data, and mail stores before proceeding
- 2. Stop the running Apache James service
- 3. Download Apache James 3.6.1 from the official Apache distribution (https://james.apache.org/download.cgi)
- 4. Install version 3.6.1 following the standard Apache James installation procedure
- 5. Restore your configuration from the backup, adapting if needed for any new configuration requirements
- 6. Start the Apache James 3.6.1 service
- 7. Verify the server is running correctly and STARTTLS functionality is operational
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in James
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,544.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-38542 — 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-2021-38542 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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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