Description
Directory traversal vulnerability in the true_path function in private.py for Mailman 2.1.5 and earlier allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via ".../....///" sequences, which are not properly cleansed by regular expressions that are intended to remove "../" and "./" sequences.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 3.0 | mailman | 2.0.11-1woody11 | DSA-674-1 |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 4 | mailman | 3:2.1.5-31.rhel4 | RHSA-2005:137 |
| RHEL 3 | mailman | 3:2.1.5-24.rhel3 | RHSA-2005:136 |
Advisories 3
- RHSA-2005:136 Red Hat Security Advisory: mailman security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- RHSA-2005:137 Red Hat Security Advisory: mailman security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- DSA-674-1 mailman - cross-site scripting, directory traversal Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- RHSA-2005:137 vendor-advisory
- 1013145 vdb-entry
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:10657 vdb-entry signature
- MDKSA-2005:037 vendor-advisory
- GLSA-200502-11 vendor-advisory
- 20050209 Administrivia: List Compromised due to Mailman Vulnerability mailing-list
- 20050209 [USN-78-1] Mailman vulnerability mailing-list
- SUSE-SA:2005:007 vendor-advisory
- RHSA-2005:136 vendor-advisory
- DSA-674 vendor-advisory
- 14211 third-party-advisory
- APPLE-SA-2005-03-21 vendor-advisory