UNKNOWN CVSS 4.3
Published: 2008-12-23

CVE-2008-5514

university_of_washington imap Security Advisory (CVE-2008-5514)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2008-5514 impacting university_of_washington imap. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 4.3 (UNKNOWN).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
Off-by-one error in the rfc822_output_char function in the RFC822BUFFER routines in the University of Washington (UW) c-client library, as used by the UW IMAP toolkit before imap-2007e and other applications, allows context-dependent attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via an e-mail message that triggers a buffer overflow.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Confidentiality
None (C:N)
No data confidentiality impact
Integrity
None (I:N)
No system modification impact

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product university_of_washington / imap
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-119

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2008-5514 impacting university_of_washington imap.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2008-5514.yaml
id: cve-2008-5514

info:
  name: university_of_washington imap - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: unknown
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2008-5514 affecting university_of_washington imap.
    Evaluation: Off-by-one error in the rfc822_output_char function in the RFC822BUFFER routines in the University of Washington (UW) c-client library, as used by the...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2008-5514
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
    cvss-score: 4.3
    cve-id: CVE-2008-5514
    cwe-id: CWE-119
  tags: cve,cve-2008-5514,university_of_washington,imap,unknown

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "imap"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2008-5514.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2008-5514
# Target: university_of_washington imap | CVSS: 4.3 (UNKNOWN)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2008-5514 (university_of_washington imap)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against university_of_washington imap scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2008-5514.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2008-5514
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install imap 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade imap 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update imap

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i imap 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i imap

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2008-5514 in university_of_washington imap?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update university_of_washington imap packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2008-5514?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2008-5514?

CVE-2008-5514 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 4.3 (UNKNOWN). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
4.3
UNKNOWN SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2008-5514
Weakness CWE-119
Vendor university_of_washington
Product imap
Published 2008-12-23
Vector AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P