Mail delivery degradation via reset Sieve accounting
Published Aug 28, 2026 · Updated Aug 28, 2026
Resource-consumption flaw in affected OX Dovecot CE and Pro versions allows remote authenticated users to degrade mail delivery through Sieve. CPU accounting is stored in each compiled script, so repeatedly replacing the active script resets the limit while deleted or renamed scripts leave compiled files behind. Valid account credentials and Sieve access are required; sustained CPU use and accumulating files can slow or interrupt mail delivery.
Summary
What happened
Resource-consumption flaw in affected OX Dovecot CE and Pro versions allows remote authenticated users to degrade mail delivery through Sieve. CPU accounting is stored in each compiled script, so repeatedly replacing the active script resets the limit while deleted or renamed scripts leave compiled files behind. Valid account credentials and Sieve access are required; sustained CPU use and accumulating files can slow or interrupt mail delivery.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-52681
- Published
- Aug 28, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 28, 2026
- Vendor
- Open-Xchange GmbH
- Product
- OX Dovecot CE
- Classifications
- CWE-1050, T1499
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 28, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=2.3.15 <2.4.5
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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