# CVE-2004-1211: Memory corruption in n/a

> Remote authenticated users can trigger buffer overflows in Mercury/32 IMAP service, causing crashes or arbitrary code execution.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 15 Dec 2004
- **Updated:** 8 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fvpw-h9g4-v5hg

## What is CVE-2004-1211?

CVE-2004-1211 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in n/a, published on 15 Dec 2004. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Multiple buffer overflows in the IMAP service in Mercury/32 4.01a allow remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (application crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via long arguments to the (1) EXAMINE, (2) SUBSCRIBE, (3) STATUS, (4) APPEND, (5) CHECK, (6) CLOSE, (7) EXPUNGE, (8) FETCH, (9) RENAME, (10) DELETE, (11) LIST, (12) SEARCH, (13) CREATE, or (14) UNSUBSCRIBE commands.

Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2004-1211?

It affects 1 product.


Products: David Harris Mercury.

## How do I fix CVE-2004-1211?

No fix has been published for CVE-2004-1211 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2004-1211 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2004-1211 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.01 - 'Pegasus' IMAP Buffer Overflow (3) (exploitdb)
- Mercury/32 v4.01a IMAP RENAME Buffer Overflow (metasploit)
- Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.01 - 'Pegasus' IMAP Buffer Overflow (1) (exploitdb)
- Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.01a - 'check' Buffer Overflow (exploitdb)
- Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.01 - 'Pegasus' IMAP Buffer Overflow (2) (exploitdb)
- Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.0.1 - 'LOGIN' Remote IMAP Stack Buffer Overflow (exploitdb)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2004-1211 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2004-1211 is a critical memory corruption vulnerability in n/a, published on 15 Dec 2004. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2004-1211 exists.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1211/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1211/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2004-1211
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2004-1211
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2004-1211

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2004-1211/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.