CVE-2004-1211: Multiple buffer overflows in the IMAP service in Mercury/32 4.01a allow remote authenticated users to cause a

Q: How do I fix CVE-2004-1211?

mercury: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2004-1211 being exploited?

CVE-2004-1211 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2004-1211 affect?

CVE-2004-1211 affects mercury. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). 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

Q: How urgent is CVE-2004-1211?

Priority 65/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 1%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

This week

HIGH 10.0DOWNGRADE

CVE-2004-1211 is a high-severity flaw (CVSS 10.0) affecting mercury. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

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.

Why this priority

Critical severity
EPSS top 1%: very likely to be exploited
Public exploit reference

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

Risk facts

CVSS score	10.0 (High)
EPSS exploit chance	72.5% (top 1%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-119
Published	2005-01-10
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: david harris

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2005-01-10 05:00 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 22:07 UTCUpdated Record last modified

david harris mercury DOWNGRADE

Affected: 4.0.1a

Fixed in: no fixed release known

Safe to downgrade to: a release before 4.0.1a

1. Check installed version

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

2. No fixed release: DOWNGRADE to a release before 4.0.1a (Debian / Ubuntu)

apt-cache madison mercury sudo apt install mercury=<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.1a> sudo apt-mark hold mercury

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

dnf --showduplicates list mercury sudo dnf downgrade mercury-<VERSION_BEFORE_4.0.1a> sudo dnf versionlock add mercury

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.

Public exploits and detection

Public code exists for this CVE. Treat unpatched systems as at risk, and only run PoCs in a lab.

Exploit-DB: Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.01a - 'check' Buffer Overflow
Exploit-DB: Mercury/32 Mail Server 3.32 < 4.51 - SMTP EIP Overwrite
Exploit-DB: Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.0.1 - 'LOGIN' Remote IMAP Stack Buffer Overflow
Exploit-DB: Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.01 - 'Pegasus' IMAP Buffer Overflow (1)
Exploit-DB: Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.01 - 'Pegasus' IMAP Buffer Overflow (2)
Exploit-DB: Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.01 - 'Pegasus' IMAP Buffer Overflow (3)
Exploit-DB: Mercury/32 Mail Server 4.01a - IMAP RENAME Buffer Overflow (Metasploit)
Metasploit: Mercury/32 v4.01a IMAP RENAME Buffer Overflow

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-2004-1211?

mercury: downgrade or apply the listed mitigation. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2004-1211 being exploited?

CVE-2004-1211 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-2004-1211 affect?

CVE-2004-1211 affects mercury. Severity is high (CVSS 10.0). 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

How urgent is CVE-2004-1211?

Priority 65/100. Critical severity; EPSS top 1%: very likely to be exploited; Public exploit reference

Related CVEs

CVE-2020-10990 CRITICAL 9.8 UPGRADE An XXE issue exists in Accenture Mercury before 1.12.28 because of the platformlambda/core/serializers/SimpleX

References

← Back to latest CVEs