Vulnerability Description
When dovecot has been configured to use per-domain passwd files, and they are placed one path component above /etc, or slash has been added to allowed characters, path traversal can happen if the domain component is directory partial. This allows inadvertently reading /etc/passwd (or some other path which ends with passwd). If this file contains passwords, it can be used to authenticate wrongly, or if this is userdb, it can unexpectly make system users appear valid users. Upgrade to fixed version, or use different authentication scheme that does not rely on paths. Alternatively you can also ensure that the per-domain passwd files are in some other location, such as /etc/dovecot/auth/%d. No publicly available exploits are known.
CVSS Score
MEDIUM
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Dovecot | Dovecot | < 2.4.0 |
| Open-Xchange | Dovecot | < 3.1.0 |
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-0394?
CVE-2026-0394 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.3 (MEDIUM). When dovecot has been configured to use per-domain passwd files, and they are placed one path component above /etc, or slash has been added to allowed characters, path traversal can happen if the doma...
How severe is CVE-2026-0394?
CVE-2026-0394 has been rated MEDIUM with a CVSS base score of 5.3/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-0394?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Dovecot Dovecot, Open-Xchange Dovecot.