---
title: "CVE-2017-14461\n    | Ubuntu"
description: Ubuntu is an open source software operating system that runs from the
  desktop, to the cloud, to all your internet connected things.
url: https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-14461?format=md
keywords: index, follow
---

# CVE-2017-14461

Publication date 28 February 2018

Last updated 25 August 2025

---

Ubuntu priority

**Medium**

[Why this priority?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#priority )

## Cvss 3 Severity Score

**7.1 · High**

[Score breakdown](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-14461?format=md#impact-score)

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## Description

A specially crafted email delivered over SMTP and passed on to Dovecot by
MTA can trigger an out of bounds read resulting in potential sensitive
information disclosure and denial of service. In order to trigger this
vulnerability, an attacker needs to send a specially crafted email message
to the server.

[Read the notes from the security team](https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2017-14461?format=md#notes)

## Status

Show unmaintained releases

| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| dovecot | 17.10 artful | Fixed 1:2.2.27-3ubuntu1.3 |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Fixed 1:2.2.22-1ubuntu2.7 |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Fixed 1:2.2.9-1ubuntu2.4 |

---

* [How can I get the fixes?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#security)
* [What do statuses mean?](https://ubuntu.com/security/cves/about#statuses)

## Notes

---

### [mdeslaur](https://launchpad.net/~mdeslaur)

affects 2.0 - 2.2.33, 2.3.0

## Severity score breakdown

CVSS version:
CVSS v3.0

**Base score**

7.1 · High

* Base metrics

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Attack vector | Network |
  | Attack complexity | Low |
  | Privileges required | Low |
  | User interaction | None |
  | Scope | Unchanged |
  | Confidentiality impact | Low |
  | Integrity impact | None |
  | Availability impact | High |
* Scores

  | Parameter | Value |
  | --- | --- |
  | Base score | 7.1 · High |
  | Exploitability score | - |
  | Impact score | - |

**Vector:** CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H

## References

* [MITRE](https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2017-14461)
* [NVD](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-14461)
* [Launchpad](https://launchpad.net/bugs/cve/CVE-2017-14461)
* [Debian](https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2017-14461)

### Related Ubuntu Security Notices (USN)

+ [USN-3587-2](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-3587-2)
+ Dovecot vulnerabilities
+ 2 April 2018

+ [USN-3587-1](https://usn.ubuntu.com/USN-3587-1)
+ Dovecot vulnerabilities
+ 5 March 2018

### Other references

* <http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2018/03/01/2>
* <https://www.dovecot.org/list/dovecot-news/2018-February/000370.html>
* <https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-14461>