CVE-2008-5005 in Alpine
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in (1) University of Washington IMAP Toolkit 2002 through 2007c, (2) University of Washington Alpine 2.00 and earlier, and (3) Panda IMAP allow (a) local users to gain privileges by specifying a long folder extension argument on the command line to the tmail or dmail program; and (b) remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by sending e-mail to a destination mailbox name composed of a username and + character followed by a long string, processed by the tmail or possibly dmail program.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/25/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2008-5005 represents a critical stack-based buffer overflow issue affecting multiple IMAP implementations including the University of Washington IMAP Toolkit and Alpine email clients. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation within the command line argument processing mechanisms of the tmail and dmail programs, which are core components of these email systems. The flaw manifests when these programs receive excessively long folder extension arguments that exceed the allocated stack buffer space, creating opportunities for both local privilege escalation and remote code execution attacks.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of command line arguments passed to tmail and dmail programs, specifically targeting the handling of folder extension parameters. When local users provide overly long arguments, the programs fail to properly validate input length, allowing stack memory corruption that can be exploited to overwrite return addresses and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. Similarly, remote attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specially formatted email addresses containing username plus long string combinations that trigger the vulnerable code path during mailbox processing, effectively bypassing normal email handling mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2008-5005 extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass complete system compromise potential. Local exploitation can elevate user privileges to root level, while remote exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems without authentication. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-121 Stack-based Buffer Overflow, which is classified under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework as a fundamental memory safety issue. The attack vectors align with MITRE ATT&CK techniques for privilege escalation and code injection, specifically targeting the execution of malicious payloads through command line interface manipulation.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is significant given the widespread deployment of the affected IMAP implementations across email servers and client systems. Both local and remote attack scenarios present serious security implications, with remote exploitation requiring no authentication and local exploitation potentially escalating to full system compromise. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the University of Washington IMAP Toolkit and Alpine email clients, indicating a long-standing issue that persisted across several software releases. Organizations relying on these email systems face immediate risk of unauthorized access, data exfiltration, and potential complete system takeover.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2008-5005 require immediate software updates to patched versions of the affected IMAP implementations, along with network-level restrictions on email processing to prevent exploitation. System administrators should implement input validation controls and monitor for suspicious email patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in email server software, aligning with security best practices outlined in industry standards for preventing buffer overflow exploits. Organizations must also conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other potentially affected systems and implement comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect exploitation attempts.