{"id":"UBUNTU-CVE-2023-42117","details":"Exim Improper Neutralization of Special Elements Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Exim. Authentication is not required to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the smtp service, which listens on TCP port 25 by default. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of user-supplied data, which can result in a memory corruption condition. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process. Was ZDI-CAN-17554.","modified":"2026-06-10T18:29:13.874940487Z","published":"2023-09-28T00:00:00Z","related":["USN-6455-1","USN-6455-2"],"upstream":["CVE-2023-42117"],"references":[{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2023-42117"},{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-23-1471/"},{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://exim.org/static/doc/security/CVE-2023-zdi.txt"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6455-1"},{"type":"ADVISORY","url":"https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6455-2"},{"type":"REPORT","url":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-42117"}],"affected":[{"package":{"name":"exim4","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:14.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/exim4?arch=source&distro=trusty%2Fesm"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm7"}]}],"versions":["4.80-7ubuntu3","4.80-7ubuntu4","4.80-9ubuntu1","4.80-9ubuntu2","4.82-3ubuntu1","4.82-3ubuntu2","4.82-3ubuntu2.1","4.82-3ubuntu2.2","4.82-3ubuntu2.3","4.82-3ubuntu2.4","4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm1","4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm2","4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm3","4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm4","4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm6"],"ecosystem_specific":{"availability":"Available with Ubuntu Pro (Infra-only): https://ubuntu.com/pro","binaries":[{"binary_name":"exim4","binary_version":"4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm7"},{"binary_name":"exim4-base","binary_version":"4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm7"},{"binary_version":"4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm7","binary_name":"exim4-config"},{"binary_name":"exim4-daemon-heavy","binary_version":"4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm7"},{"binary_name":"exim4-daemon-light","binary_version":"4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm7"},{"binary_name":"eximon4","binary_version":"4.82-3ubuntu2.4+esm7"}]},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-42117.json"}},{"package":{"name":"exim4","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:16.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/exim4?arch=source&distro=esm-infra%2Fxenial"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm5"}]}],"versions":["4.86-3ubuntu1","4.86-7ubuntu1","4.86-7ubuntu2","4.86-7ubuntu3","4.86.2-2ubuntu1","4.86.2-2ubuntu2","4.86.2-2ubuntu2.1","4.86.2-2ubuntu2.2","4.86.2-2ubuntu2.3","4.86.2-2ubuntu2.4","4.86.2-2ubuntu2.5","4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6","4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm1","4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm2","4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm4"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_version":"4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm5","binary_name":"exim4"},{"binary_name":"exim4-base","binary_version":"4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm5"},{"binary_name":"exim4-config","binary_version":"4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm5"},{"binary_version":"4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm5","binary_name":"exim4-daemon-heavy"},{"binary_name":"exim4-daemon-light","binary_version":"4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm5"},{"binary_name":"eximon4","binary_version":"4.86.2-2ubuntu2.6+esm5"}],"availability":"Available with Ubuntu Pro (Infra-only): https://ubuntu.com/pro"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-42117.json"}},{"package":{"name":"exim4","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/exim4?arch=source&distro=esm-infra%2Fbionic"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"4.90.1-1ubuntu1.10+esm2"}]}],"versions":["4.89-5ubuntu1","4.89-9ubuntu1","4.89-9ubuntu2","4.89-9ubuntu3","4.89-9ubuntu4","4.90.1-1ubuntu1","4.90.1-1ubuntu1.1","4.90.1-1ubuntu1.2","4.90.1-1ubuntu1.3","4.90.1-1ubuntu1.4","4.90.1-1ubuntu1.5","4.90.1-1ubuntu1.8","4.90.1-1ubuntu1.9","4.90.1-1ubuntu1.10","4.90.1-1ubuntu1.10+esm1"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_name":"exim4","binary_version":"4.90.1-1ubuntu1.10+esm2"},{"binary_name":"exim4-base","binary_version":"4.90.1-1ubuntu1.10+esm2"},{"binary_name":"exim4-config","binary_version":"4.90.1-1ubuntu1.10+esm2"},{"binary_version":"4.90.1-1ubuntu1.10+esm2","binary_name":"exim4-daemon-heavy"},{"binary_name":"exim4-daemon-light","binary_version":"4.90.1-1ubuntu1.10+esm2"},{"binary_version":"4.90.1-1ubuntu1.10+esm2","binary_name":"eximon4"}],"availability":"Available with Ubuntu Pro (Infra-only): https://ubuntu.com/pro"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-42117.json"}},{"package":{"name":"exim4","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:20.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/exim4?arch=source&distro=focal"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"4.93-13ubuntu1.9"}]}],"versions":["4.92.1-1ubuntu3","4.92.1-1ubuntu4","4.93~RC2-1ubuntu1","4.93-9ubuntu1","4.93-11ubuntu1","4.93-12ubuntu1","4.93-13ubuntu1","4.93-13ubuntu1.1","4.93-13ubuntu1.5","4.93-13ubuntu1.6","4.93-13ubuntu1.7","4.93-13ubuntu1.8"],"ecosystem_specific":{"binaries":[{"binary_name":"exim4","binary_version":"4.93-13ubuntu1.9"},{"binary_name":"exim4-base","binary_version":"4.93-13ubuntu1.9"},{"binary_name":"exim4-config","binary_version":"4.93-13ubuntu1.9"},{"binary_version":"4.93-13ubuntu1.9","binary_name":"exim4-daemon-heavy"},{"binary_name":"exim4-daemon-light","binary_version":"4.93-13ubuntu1.9"},{"binary_name":"eximon4","binary_version":"4.93-13ubuntu1.9"}],"availability":"No subscription required"},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-42117.json"}},{"package":{"name":"exim4","ecosystem":"Ubuntu:22.04:LTS","purl":"pkg:deb/ubuntu/exim4?arch=source&distro=jammy"},"ranges":[{"type":"ECOSYSTEM","events":[{"introduced":"0"},{"fixed":"4.95-4ubuntu2.4"}]}],"versions":["4.94.2-7ubuntu2","4.95-2ubuntu2","4.95-4ubuntu1","4.95-4ubuntu2","4.95-4ubuntu2.1","4.95-4ubuntu2.2","4.95-4ubuntu2.3"],"ecosystem_specific":{"availability":"No subscription required","binaries":[{"binary_name":"exim4","binary_version":"4.95-4ubuntu2.4"},{"binary_name":"exim4-base","binary_version":"4.95-4ubuntu2.4"},{"binary_name":"exim4-config","binary_version":"4.95-4ubuntu2.4"},{"binary_name":"exim4-daemon-heavy","binary_version":"4.95-4ubuntu2.4"},{"binary_version":"4.95-4ubuntu2.4","binary_name":"exim4-daemon-light"},{"binary_version":"4.95-4ubuntu2.4","binary_name":"eximon4"}]},"database_specific":{"source":"https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices/blob/main/osv/cve/2023/UBUNTU-CVE-2023-42117.json"}}],"schema_version":"1.7.5","severity":[{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},{"type":"CVSS_V3","score":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},{"type":"Ubuntu","score":"medium"}]}