CVE-2009-5131: The Receive Service in Websense Email Security before 7.1 does not recognize domain extensions in the blacklis

Q: How do I fix CVE-2009-5131?

websense email security: upgrade to newer than 7.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2009-5131 being exploited?

CVE-2009-5131 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-2009-5131 affect?

CVE-2009-5131 affects websense email security. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). The Receive Service in Websense Email Security before 7.1 does not recognize domain extensions in the blacklist, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and send e-mail messages via an SMTP session.

Q: How urgent is CVE-2009-5131?

Priority 36/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Routine

MEDIUM 5.0UPGRADE

CVE-2009-5131 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.0) affecting websense email security. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

The Receive Service in Websense Email Security before 7.1 does not recognize domain extensions in the blacklist, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and send e-mail messages via an SMTP session.

Why this priority

No elevated risk signals yet

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.0 (Medium)
EPSS exploit chance	1.4% (top 27%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-264
Published	2012-08-26
Last modified	2026-06-16

Publisher (CNA): MITRE · Vendor: websense

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

Am I affected?

Timeline

2012-08-26 19:55 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-16 23:15 UTCUpdated Record last modified

websense websense email security UPGRADE

Affected: <= 7.0 · 6.1 · 6.1 sp1

Fixed in: newer than 7.0

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy websense-email-security || rpm -q websense-email-security || websense-email-security --version

2. UPGRADE to newer than 7.0 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade websense-email-security

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade websense-email-security

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-2009-5131?

websense email security: upgrade to newer than 7.0. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2009-5131 being exploited?

CVE-2009-5131 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-2009-5131 affect?

CVE-2009-5131 affects websense email security. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.0). The Receive Service in Websense Email Security before 7.1 does not recognize domain extensions in the blacklist, which allows remote attackers to bypass intended access restrictions and send e-mail messages via an SMTP session.

How urgent is CVE-2009-5131?

Priority 36/100. No elevated risk signals yet.

Related CVEs

CVE-2012-4605 MEDIUM 5.0 DOWNGRADE The default configuration of the SMTP component in Websense Email Security 6.1 through 7.3 enables weak SSL ci
CVE-2009-5130 MEDIUM 4.3 UPGRADE The Rules Service in Websense Email Security before 7.1 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (
CVE-2009-5122 MEDIUM 5.0 UPGRADE The Personal Email Manager component in Websense Email Security before 7.2 allows remote attackers to obtain p
CVE-2009-5121 MEDIUM 5.0 DOWNGRADE Websense Email Security 7.1 before Hotfix 4 allows remote attackers to bypass the sender-based blacklist by us

References

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