Description
aiosmtplib is an asynchronous SMTP client for use with asyncio. Prior to 5.1.2, SMTPProtocol.start_tls in src/aiosmtplib/protocol.py consumes the server's 220 response and starts the TLS handshake without clearing SMTPProtocol._buffer. An active network attacker can place attacker-chosen SMTP response lines after the plaintext 220 response in the same network segment. The method then calls loop.start_tls; those bytes survive the transport upgrade and are parsed as the first response from inside the TLS session, desynchronizing subsequent SMTP command and response pairs. Connections using start_tls=True or opportunistic STARTTLS are affected, while connections using use_tls=True are not. This issue is fixed in version 5.1.2.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| cole | aiosmtplib | < 5.1.2 | — |
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 | aiosmtplib | 5.1.2-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | aiosmtplib | No fix yet | — |
| Debian 12 | aiosmtplib | No fix yet | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.10 | aiosmtplib | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | aiosmtplib | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | aiosmtplib | No fix yet | — |
openSUSE
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| openSUSE Tumbleweed | python-aiosmtplib | 5.1.2-1.1 | openSUSE-SU-2026:11569-1 |
Affected packages
| Ecosystem | Package | Affected | Fixed | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PyPI | aiosmtplib | < 5.1.2 | 5.1.2 | GHSA-vxj7-4xrp-5vr4 |
Advisories 1
- openSUSE-SU-2026:11569-1 python313-aiosmtplib-5.1.2-1.1 on GA media SUSE / openSUSE Security Updates · Aug 22, 2026