Vulnerability Monitor

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CVE-2016-9920

steps/mail/sendmail.inc in Roundcube before 1.1.7 and 1.2.x before 1.2.3, when no SMTP server is configured and the sendmail program is enabled, does not properly restrict the use of custom envelope-from addresses on the sendmail command line, which allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code via a modified HTTP request that sends a crafted e-mail message.

Security Impact Summary

This vulnerability carries a HIGH severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.5, indicating it can be exploited remotely over the network but requires specific conditions to be met without requiring user interaction requiring only low-level privileges . The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (data exposure), integrity (unauthorized modifications), and availability (service disruption) for affected systems. Impacting 1 product from roundcube organizations running these solutions should prioritize assessment and patching.

Historical Context

First disclosed in 2016, this vulnerability was reported during a period defined by widespread IoT adoption challenges, mobile security concerns, and the emergence of advanced persistent threat (APT) techniques. Contemporary mitigation strategies focused on secure development practices and third-party component vetting.

Published

2016-12-08T18:59:00.200

Last Modified

2025-04-12T10:46:40.837

Status

Deferred

Source

[email protected]

Severity

CVSSv3.0: 7.5 (HIGH)

CVSSv2 Vector

AV:N/AC:M/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P

Access Vector: NETWORK
Access Complexity: MEDIUM
Authentication: SINGLE
Confidentiality Impact: PARTIAL
Integrity Impact: PARTIAL
Availability Impact: PARTIAL

Exploitability Score

6.8

Impact Score

6.4

Weaknesses

Type: Primary
CWE-284

Affected Vendors & Products

Type	Vendor	Product	Version/Range	Vulnerable?
Application	roundcube	webmail	≤ 1.1.6	Yes
Application	roundcube	webmail	1.2.0	Yes
Application	roundcube	webmail	1.2.1	Yes
Application	roundcube	webmail	1.2.2	Yes

References

http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/08/10 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94858 ([email protected])
https://blog.ripstech.com/2016/roundcube-command-execution-via-email/ Exploit, Third Party Advisory ([email protected])
https://roundcube.net/news/2016/11/28/updates-1.2.3-and-1.1.7-released Release Notes, Vendor Advisory ([email protected])
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201612-44 ([email protected])
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/12/08/10 Mailing List, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/94858 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://blog.ripstech.com/2016/roundcube-command-execution-via-email/ Exploit, Third Party Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://roundcube.net/news/2016/11/28/updates-1.2.3-and-1.1.7-released Release Notes, Vendor Advisory (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)
https://security.gentoo.org/glsa/201612-44 (af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108)

How SecUtils Interprets This CVE

SecUtils normalizes and enriches National Vulnerability Database (NVD) records by standardizing vendor and product identifiers, aggregating vulnerability metadata from both NVD and MITRE sources, and providing structured context for security teams. For roundcube's affected products, we extract Common Platform Enumeration (CPE) data, Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classifications, CVSS severity metrics, and reference data to enable rapid vulnerability prioritization and asset correlation. This record contains no exploit code, proof-of-concept instructions, or attack methodologies—only defensive intelligence necessary for patch management, risk assessment, and security operations.