CVE-2004-0884: The (1) libsasl and (2) libsasl2 libraries in Cyrus-SASL 2.1.18 and earlier trust the SASL_PATH environment va

This month

HIGH 7.2WATCHLISTDOWNGRADEMITIGATE

CVE-2004-0884 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 7.2) affecting sasl, linux. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The (1) libsasl and (2) libsasl2 libraries in Cyrus-SASL 2.1.18 and earlier trust the SASL_PATH environment variable to find all available SASL plug-ins, which allows local users to execute arbitrary code by modifying the SASL_PATH to point to malicious programs.

Why this priority

High severity
On your watchlist

No fix is published yet: follow the downgrade or mitigation steps.

Risk facts

CVSS score	7.2 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	0.5% (top 57%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2005-01-27
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: conectiva · cyrus

Last updated 2026-06-16 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2005-01-27 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:06 UTCUpdated Record last modified

cyrus sasl DOWNGRADE

Affected: 1.5.24 · 1.5.27 · 1.5.28 · 2.1.9 · 2.1.10 · 2.1.11 · 2.1.12 · 2.1.13

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 1.5.24

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy sasl || rpm -q sasl || sasl --version

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 1.5.24 (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison sasl sudo apt install sasl=<VERSION_BEFORE_1.5.24> sudo apt-mark hold sasl

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

dnf --showduplicates list sasl sudo dnf downgrade sasl-<VERSION_BEFORE_1.5.24> sudo dnf versionlock add sasl

Downgrade risk

Downgrading can break dependent software and may reopen older bugs. Read the distro advisory first and test on a non-production host.

After downgrade

Restart the service, and keep the package held until a fixed release ships.

conectiva linux MITIGATE

Affected: 9.0 · 10.0

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 9.0

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2004-0884?

sasl: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation; linux: mitigate or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2004-0884 being exploited?

CVE-2004-0884 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2004-0884 affect?

CVE-2004-0884 affects sasl, linux. Severity is high (CVSS 7.2). The (1) libsasl and (2) libsasl2 libraries in Cyrus-SASL 2.1.18 and earlier trust the SASL_PATH environment variable to find all available SASL plug-ins, which allows local users to execute arbitrary code by modifying the SASL_PATH to point

How urgent is CVE-2004-0884?

Priority 41/100. High severity; On your watchlist

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References

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