Description
protocols/jabber/auth.c in libpurple in Pidgin 2.6.0, and possibly other versions, does not follow the "require TLS/SSL" preference when connecting to older Jabber servers that do not follow the XMPP specification, which causes libpurple to connect to the server without the expected encryption and allows remote attackers to sniff sessions.
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 14 | pidgin | 2.6.1-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | pidgin | 2.6.1-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | pidgin | 2.6.1-1 | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 5 | finch +8 | 2.6.2-2.el5 | RHSA-2009:1453 |
| RHEL 4 | finch +8 | 2.6.2-2.el4 | RHSA-2009:1453 |
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Rhel Productivity 5 | finch +8 | 2.6.2-2.el5 | RHSA-2009:1453 |
Advisories 1
- RHSA-2009:1453 Red Hat Security Advisory: pidgin security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
References
- 36368 vdb-entry
- http://developer.pidgin.im/viewmtn/revision/diff/312e056d702d29379ea61aea9d27765f127bc888/with/55897c4ce0787edc1e7721b7f4a9b5cbc8357279
- http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/8131
- 37071 third-party-advisory
- [oss-security] 20090824 CVE id request: pidgin mailing-list
- http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=542891
- pidgin-libpurple-weak-security(53000) vdb-entry
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:5757 vdb-entry signature
- oval:org.mitre.oval:def:11070 vdb-entry signature