Description
BSD mailx 8.1.2 and earlier allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands via a crafted email address.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSD | mailx | 8.1.2 and earlier | — |
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 | bsd-mailx | 8.1.2-0.20141216cvs-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | bsd-mailx | 8.1.2-0.20141216cvs-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | bsd-mailx | 8.1.2-0.20141216cvs-1 | — |
| Debian 7 | bsd-mailx | 8.1.2-0.20111106cvs-1+deb7u1 | DSA-3104-1 |
| Debian 7 | heirloom-mailx | 12.5-2+deb7u1 | DSA-3105-1 |
| Debian 6.0 | bsd-mailx | 8.1.2-0.20100314cvs-1+deb6u1 | DLA-113-1 |
| Debian 6.0 | heirloom-mailx | 12.4-2+deb6u1 | DLA-114-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | bsd-mailx | 8.1.2-0.20131005cvs-1ubuntu0.14.04.1 | USN-2455-1 |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | heirloom-mailx | 12.5-2+deb7u1build0.14.04.1 | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | mailx | 12.5-12.el7_0 | RHSA-2014:1999 |
| RHEL 6 | mailx | 12.4-8.el6_6 | RHSA-2014:1999 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | mailx | 12.5-24.4 | openSUSE-SU-2024:10561-1 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 7 | mailx | 12.5-12.el7_0 | ELSA-2014-1999 |
Advisories 8
- RHSA-2014:1999 Red Hat Security Advisory: mailx security update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 26, 2026
- DSA-3105-1 heirloom-mailx - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DSA-3104-1 bsd-mailx - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-114-1 heirloom-mailx - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- DLA-113-1 bsd-mailx - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- USN-2455-1 bsd-mailx vulnerability Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Feb 10, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2024:10561-1 mailx-12.5-24.4 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- ELSA-2014-1999 Moderate: mailx security update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Dec 16, 2014