Description
In GNOME Balsa before 2.6.0, a malicious server operator or man in the middle can trigger a NULL pointer dereference and client crash by sending a PREAUTH response to imap_mbox_connect in libbalsa/imap/imap-handle.c.
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 | balsa | 2.6.0-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | balsa | 2.6.0-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | balsa | 2.6.0-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | balsa | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | balsa | No fix yet | — |
SUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSE Package Hub 15 SP1 | balsa | 2.5.5-bp151.4.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2020:1230-1 |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Leap 15.1 | balsa | 2.5.5-lp151.3.3.1 | openSUSE-SU-2020:1207-1 |
Advisories 2
- openSUSE-SU-2020:1207-1 Security update for balsa SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026
- openSUSE-SU-2020:1230-1 Security update for balsa SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Feb 4, 2026