How severe is CVE-2017-2669?

CVE-2017-2669 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.7, rated low severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability low.

Is CVE-2017-2669 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2017-2669?

CVE-2017-2669 primarily affects Dovecot. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2017-2669?

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

When was CVE-2017-2669 published?

CVE-2017-2669 was published on 2018-06-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2017-2669

CVE-2017-2669 is a low-severity vulnerability in Dovecot with a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.7. 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-20.

Key facts

Severity: Low (CVSS 3.x base score 3.7)
CVSS v2: 5.0
EPSS exploit prediction: 5% (91st percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-20
Affected product: Dovecot
Published: 2018-06-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Dovecot before version 2.2.29 is vulnerable to a denial of service. When 'dict' passdb and userdb were used for user authentication, the username sent by the IMAP/POP3 client was sent through var_expand() to perform %variable expansion. Sending specially crafted %variable fields could result in excessive memory usage causing the process to crash (and restart), or excessive CPU usage causing all authentications to hang.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2017-2669?: Dovecot before version 2.2.29 is vulnerable to a denial of service. When 'dict' passdb and userdb were used for user authentication, the username sent by the IMAP/POP3 client was sent through var_expand() to perform %variable expansion. Sending specially crafted %variable fields could result in excessive memory usage causing the process to crash (and restart), or excessive CPU usage causing all authentications to hang.
How severe is CVE-2017-2669?: CVE-2017-2669 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 3.7, rated low severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability low.
Is CVE-2017-2669 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 5% (91st percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2017-2669?: CVE-2017-2669 primarily affects Dovecot. In total, 2 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2017-2669?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2017-2669 published?: CVE-2017-2669 was published on 2018-06-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (2)

cpe:2.3:a:dovecot:dovecot:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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