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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-27855: Dovecot OTP authentication is vulnerable to replay attack under specific conditions

Affects dovecotSource GCVE Database

0
Authoritative record:CVE-2026-27855· Medium 6.8

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.8 Medium · fixed in 1:2.3.16+dfsg1-3ubuntu2.7 : update dovecot when convenient.

Data as of 27 Oct 2026, 01:13 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
6.8Medium
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
Patch
Available – fixed in 1:2.3.16+dfsg1-3ubuntu2.7, 1:2.3.21+dfsg1-2ubuntu6.3, 1:2.4.1+dfsg1-5ubuntu4.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 27 Mar 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade the Ubuntu dovecot to 1:2.3.16+dfsg1-3ubuntu2.7 (package) or 1:2.3.21+dfsg1-2ubuntu6.3 (package) or 1:2.4.1+dfsg1-5ubuntu4.1 (package).

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 25.10dovecotpkg:deb/ubuntu/dovecot?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <1:2.4.1+dfsg1-5ubuntu4.1
Fixed in
  • 1:2.4.1+dfsg1-5ubuntu4.1
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSdovecotpkg:deb/ubuntu/dovecot?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threatsAffected
  • <1:2.3.21+dfsg1-2ubuntu6.3
Fixed in
  • 1:2.3.21+dfsg1-2ubuntu6.3
Ubuntu 22.04 LTSdovecotpkg:deb/ubuntu/dovecot?arch=source&distro=jammyOther threatsAffected
  • <1:2.3.16+dfsg1-3ubuntu2.7
Fixed in
  • 1:2.3.16+dfsg1-3ubuntu2.7
Ubuntu 20.04 LTSdovecotpkg:deb/ubuntu/dovecot?arch=source&distro=focalOther threatsAffected
  • 1:2.3.4.1-5ubuntu3 – 1:2.3.7.2-1ubuntu3.7
11 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 18.04 LTSdovecotpkg:deb/ubuntu/dovecot?arch=source&distro=bionicOther threatsAffected
  • 1:2.2.27-3ubuntu1 – 1:2.2.33.2-1ubuntu4.8
13 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 16.04 LTSdovecotpkg:deb/ubuntu/dovecot?arch=source&distro=xenialOther threatsAffected
  • 1:2.2.18-2ubuntu2 – 1:2.2.22-1ubuntu2.14
16 affected builds
Fixed in–

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

Apply the official patches provided in the Ubuntu security advisory USN-8136-1 by updating to the fixed Dovecot package versions. If patching is not immediately possible, ensure that authentication does not occur over insecure connections by switching to SCRAM protocol or securing communications with encryption. Alternatively, use OAUTH2 or SCRAM authentication methods to prevent replay attacks. No additional action is required if these mitigations are already in place.

Description

Dovecot's OTP authentication mechanism is vulnerable to a replay attack under specific conditions involving auth cache and username changes in passdb. An attacker who can observe an OTP exchange may reuse the OTP to log in as the user. The vulnerability can be mitigated by using secure communication protocols such as SCRAM or OAUTH2, or by securing the communication channel. No public exploits are known. Fixes are available in certain updated Dovecot package versions for Ubuntu.

References

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