How severe is CVE-2021-39272?

CVE-2021-39272 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.

Is CVE-2021-39272 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (56th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-39272?

CVE-2021-39272 primarily affects Fetchmail. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-39272?

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

When was CVE-2021-39272 published?

CVE-2021-39272 was published on 2021-08-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-39272

CVE-2021-39272 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Fetchmail with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9. 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-319.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.9)
CVSS v2: 4.3
EPSS exploit prediction: 1% (56th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-319
Affected product: Fetchmail
Published: 2021-08-30
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

Fetchmail before 6.4.22 fails to enforce STARTTLS session encryption in some circumstances, such as a certain situation with IMAP and PREAUTH.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-39272?: Fetchmail before 6.4.22 fails to enforce STARTTLS session encryption in some circumstances, such as a certain situation with IMAP and PREAUTH.
How severe is CVE-2021-39272?: CVE-2021-39272 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.9, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over network with high attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity none, and availability none.
Is CVE-2021-39272 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 1% (56th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-39272?: CVE-2021-39272 primarily affects Fetchmail. In total, 4 product configurations (CPEs) are listed as vulnerable; see the affected-products list for the exact versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-39272?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2021-39272 published?: CVE-2021-39272 was published on 2021-08-30 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (4)

cpe:2.3:a:fetchmail:fetchmail:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:33:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:34:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:35:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

More vulnerabilities in Fetchmail

CVE-2001-1009 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Fetchmail (aka fetchmail-ssl) before 5.8.17 allows a remote malicious (1) IMAP server or (2) POP/POP3 server to…
CVE-2001-0101 — Critical (CVSS 10.0): Vulnerability in fetchmail 5.5.0-2 and earlier in the AUTHENTICATE GSSAPI command.
CVE-2006-5974 — High (CVSS 7.8): fetchmail 6.3.5 and 6.3.6 before 6.3.6-rc4, when refusing a message delivered via the mda option, allows remote…
CVE-2006-5867 — High (CVSS 7.8): fetchmail before 6.3.6-rc4 does not properly enforce TLS and may transmit cleartext passwords over unsecured links if…
CVE-2005-4348 — High (CVSS 7.8): fetchmail before 6.3.1 and before 6.2.5.5, when configured for multidrop mode, allows remote attackers to cause a…
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