# CVE-2009-3235: Memory corruption in n/a

> Stack-based buffer overflows in Dovecot's Sieve plugin allow attackers to cause denial of service or execute arbitrary code via crafted scripts.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 17 Sep 2009
- **Updated:** 7 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2009-3235, GHSA-vm7h-xxvx-g2fw

## What is CVE-2009-3235?

CVE-2009-3235 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Dovecot Dovecot, published on 17 Sep 2009. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Multiple stack-based buffer overflows in the Sieve plugin in Dovecot 1.0 before 1.0.4 and 1.1 before 1.1.7, as derived from Cyrus libsieve, allow context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) and possibly execute arbitrary code via a crafted SIEVE script, as demonstrated by forwarding an e-mail message to a large number of recipients, a different vulnerability than CVE-2009-2632.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2009-3235?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Dovecot Dovecot.

## How do I fix CVE-2009-3235?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2009-3235 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-3235 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Dovecot Dovecot

- [CVE-2026-24031](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24031/): Auth bypass in OX Dovecot Pro (high 7.7)
- [CVE-2025-59032](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59032/): Denial of service in OX Dovecot Pro (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2026-27858](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-27858/): Denial of service in OX Dovecot Pro (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2021-29157](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-29157/): Path traversal in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2020-10957](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-10957/): Null dereference in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2009-3235 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2009-3235 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Dovecot Dovecot, published on 17 Sep 2009. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2009-3235 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Dovecot Dovecot. 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-2009-3235/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3235/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2009-3235
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2009-3235
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2009-3235

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2009-3235/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.