CVE-2009-3897

Name: CVE-2009-3897
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2009-11-24T17:30:00.407+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.38%

Last modified Jun 16, 2026

CVE-2009-3897 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. 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.. EPSS estimates a 0.38% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

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.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

EPSS Probability

0.38%

29.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-732

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Dovecot	Dovecot	>= 1.2.0, < 1.2.8

References

http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-01/msg00007.htmlMailing List
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125871729029145&w=2Mailing List, Patch
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125881481222441&w=2Mailing List
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125900267208712&w=2Mailing List, Patch
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125900271508796&w=2Mailing List
http://secunia.com/advisories/37443Broken Link, Vendor Advisory
http://www.dovecot.org/list/dovecot-news/2009-November/000143.htmlMailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2009:306Not Applicable
http://www.osvdb.org/60316Broken Link
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37084Broken Link, Patch, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3306Patch, Permissions Required, Vendor Advisory
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/54363Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2010-01/msg00007.htmlMailing List
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125871729029145&w=2Mailing List, Patch
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125881481222441&w=2Mailing List
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125900267208712&w=2Mailing List, Patch
http://marc.info/?l=oss-security&m=125900271508796&w=2Mailing List
http://secunia.com/advisories/37443Broken Link, Vendor Advisory
http://www.dovecot.org/list/dovecot-news/2009-November/000143.htmlMailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory
http://www.mandriva.com/security/advisories?name=MDVSA-2009:306Not Applicable
http://www.osvdb.org/60316Broken Link
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/37084Broken Link, Patch, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://www.vupen.com/english/advisories/2009/3306Patch, Permissions Required, Vendor Advisory
https://exchange.xforce.ibmcloud.com/vulnerabilities/54363Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry

Timeline

Published: Nov 24, 2009
Last Modified: Jun 16, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2009-3897?

How severe is CVE-2009-3897?

CVE-2009-3897 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.38% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2009-3897?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2009-3897?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST