How severe is CVE-2009-3897?

CVE-2009-3897 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2009-3897 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (30th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2009-3897?

CVE-2009-3897 affects Dovecot. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2009-3897?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2009-3897 published?

CVE-2009-3897 was published on 2009-11-24 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

CVE-2009-3897

CVE-2009-3897 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Dovecot with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-732.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.6
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (30th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-732
Affected product: Dovecot
Published: 2009-11-24
Last modified: 2026-06-16

Description

Dovecot 1.2.x before 1.2.8 sets 0777 permissions during creation of certain directories at installation time, which allows local users to access arbitrary user accounts by replacing the auth socket, related to the parent directories of the base_dir directory, and possibly the base_dir directory itself.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2009-3897?: Dovecot 1.2.x before 1.2.8 sets 0777 permissions during creation of certain directories at installation time, which allows local users to access arbitrary user accounts by replacing the auth socket, related to the parent directories of the base_dir directory, and possibly the base_dir directory itself.
How severe is CVE-2009-3897?: CVE-2009-3897 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2009-3897 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (30th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2009-3897?: CVE-2009-3897 affects Dovecot. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2009-3897?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2009-3897 published?: CVE-2009-3897 was published on 2009-11-24 and last updated on 2026-06-16.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:dovecot:dovecot:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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