CVE-2008-5514: Off-by-one error in the rfc822_output_char function in the RFC822BUFFER routines in the University of Washingt

Q: How do I fix CVE-2008-5514?

imap: upgrade to newer than 2007d. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2008-5514 being exploited?

CVE-2008-5514 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-2008-5514 affect?

CVE-2008-5514 affects imap. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.3). Off-by-one error in the rfc822_output_char function in the RFC822BUFFER routines in the University of Washington (UW) c-client library, as used by the UW IMAP toolkit before imap-2007e and other applications, allows context-dependent attack

Q: How urgent is CVE-2008-5514?

Priority 35/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Routine

MEDIUM 4.3UPGRADE

CVE-2008-5514 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 4.3) affecting imap. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Off-by-one error in the rfc822_output_char function in the RFC822BUFFER routines in the University of Washington (UW) c-client library, as used by the UW IMAP toolkit before imap-2007e and other applications, allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via an e-mail message that triggers a buffer overflow.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	4.3 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	1.8% (top 22%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-119
Published	2008-12-23
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): Red Hat, Inc. · Vendor: university of washington

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2008-12-23 18:30 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 23:00 UTCUpdated Record last modified

university of washington imap UPGRADE

Affected: <= 2007d · 2000 · 2000a · 2000b · 2000c · 2001 · 2001a · 2002

Fixed in: newer than 2007d

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

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

2. UPGRADE to newer than 2007d (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade imap

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade imap

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

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-2008-5514?

imap: upgrade to newer than 2007d. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2008-5514 being exploited?

CVE-2008-5514 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-2008-5514 affect?

CVE-2008-5514 affects imap. Severity is medium (CVSS 4.3). Off-by-one error in the rfc822_output_char function in the RFC822BUFFER routines in the University of Washington (UW) c-client library, as used by the UW IMAP toolkit before imap-2007e and other applications, allows context-dependent attack

How urgent is CVE-2008-5514?

Priority 35/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-61908 LOW 3.1 UPGRADE An issue was discovered in Cyrus IMAP before 3.12.4
CVE-2026-61909 LOW 3.5 UPGRADE An issue was discovered in Cyrus IMAP before 3.12.4
CVE-2026-61910 LOW 3.5 UPGRADE An issue was discovered in Cyrus IMAP before 3.12.4
CVE-2026-61911 MEDIUM 4.3 UPGRADE An issue was discovered in Cyrus IMAP before 3.12.4
CVE-2026-61915 MEDIUM 4.2 UPGRADE An issue was discovered in Cyrus IMAP before 3.12.4

References

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