CVE-2025-61962: In fetchmail before 6.5.6, the SMTP client can crash when authenticating upon receiving a 334 status
Affects fetchmailSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.9 Medium · fixed in 6.4.27-1ubuntu0.1 : update fetchmail when convenient.
Data as of 10 Nov 2026, 05:57 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 6.4.27-1ubuntu0.1, 6.4.38-1ubuntu4.1, 6.5.4-0ubuntu2
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 4 Oct 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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 9 Nov 2026.
What to do
Upgrade the Ubuntu fetchmail to 6.4.27-1ubuntu0.1 (package) or 6.4.38-1ubuntu4.1 (package) or 6.5.4-0ubuntu2 (package).
Patches and advisories
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSfetchmailpkg:deb/ubuntu/fetchmail?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 25.10fetchmailpkg:deb/ubuntu/fetchmail?arch=source&distro=questingOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSfetchmailpkg:deb/ubuntu/fetchmail?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 22.04 LTSfetchmailpkg:deb/ubuntu/fetchmail?arch=source&distro=jammyOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTSfetchmailpkg:deb/ubuntu/fetchmail?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTSfetchmailpkg:deb/ubuntu/fetchmail?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/bionicOther threats | Affected
| 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 available in fetchmail versions 6.4.27-1ubuntu0.1, 6.4.38-1ubuntu4.1, or 6.5.4-0ubuntu2 as provided by the Ubuntu security notice USN-7838-1. Updating to these fixed versions fully mitigates the vulnerability.
Description
A vulnerability in fetchmail versions prior to 6.5.6 allows the SMTP client to crash during authentication when receiving a 334 status code in a malformed context. This issue can cause a denial of service by crashing the client. The flaw has been assigned CVE-2025-61962 and has a medium severity rating with a CVSS score of 5.9. Fixes are available in specific patched versions.