CVE-2026-40203

dovecot: Dovecot: Information disclosure via IMAP compression side-channel

Published Aug 28, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 3.7 Low EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
When IMAP compression is enabled, the same compression state is reused across responses in a session, so response sizes depend on both attacker-supplied mail and other mail in the same mailbox. An attacker that can send mail to a user and can also observe the sizes of that user's IMAP traffic can confirm whether the body of a small message matches a guessed text. Recovery of arbitrary unknown content was not demonstrated, but the attack can disclose whether a secret-like message body matches a candidate. Disable IMAP compression. Update to non-vulnerable version. No publicly available exploits are known.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4873-1 dovecot security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-6526-1 dovecot security update
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Open-xchange
Open-xchange ox Dovecot Ce
Open-xchange ox Dovecot Pro
Vendors & Products Open-xchange
Open-xchange ox Dovecot Ce
Open-xchange ox Dovecot Pro
Type Values Removed Values Added
Title IMAP Compression Reuse Allows Recipient‑Dependent Information Disclosure dovecot: Dovecot: Information disclosure via IMAP compression side-channel
Weaknesses CWE-205
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

threat_severity

Low

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Title IMAP Compression Reuse Allows Recipient‑Dependent Information Disclosure
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description When IMAP compression is enabled, the same compression state is reused across responses in a session, so response sizes depend on both attacker-supplied mail and other mail in the same mailbox. An attacker that can send mail to a user and can also observe the sizes of that user's IMAP traffic can confirm whether the body of a small message matches a guessed text. Recovery of arbitrary unknown content was not demonstrated, but the attack can disclose whether a secret-like message body matches a candidate. Disable IMAP compression. Update to non-vulnerable version. No publicly available exploits are known.
Weaknesses CWE-200
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 3.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
OX
Published
Updated
Aug 28, 2026, 2:57 PM
Reserved
Apr 10, 2026, 7:11 AM
Status
Deferred
Published
Aug 28, 2026, 12:16 PM
Modified
Sep 3, 2026, 6:13 PM
Severity
Low
Public date
Aug 28, 2026, 10:12 AM