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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2015-2181 Roundcube CVE debrief

CVE-2015-2181 affects Roundcube webmail before 1.1.0 in the Password plugin’s DBMail driver. The issue is described as multiple buffer overflows triggered through the username or password fields, with remote attackers able to cause unspecified impact. NVD rates the vulnerability HIGH with a CVSS 3.0 score of 8.8, reflecting network reachability, low privileges, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.

Vendor
Roundcube
Product
CVE-2015-2181
CVSS
HIGH 8.8
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2017-01-30
Original CVE updated
2026-05-13
Advisory published
2017-01-30
Advisory updated
2026-05-13

Who should care

Roundcube administrators and operators who have the Password plugin enabled, especially installations using the DBMail driver and any deployment running Roundcube before 1.1.0. Security teams should prioritize this for internet-facing webmail services and any environment where user authentication flows are exposed to untrusted clients.

Technical summary

The NVD record classifies the issue as multiple buffer overflows in the DBMail driver inside Roundcube’s Password plugin, with vulnerable versions ending before 1.1.0. The CVE summary states that remote attackers can reach the flaw via the username or password inputs and obtain unspecified impact. NVD associates the issue with CWE-119 and lists a CVSS 3.0 vector of AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, indicating a remotely reachable flaw that can have severe consequences once exploited.

Defensive priority

High. If your Roundcube deployment is below 1.1.0 and uses the Password plugin with DBMail, this should be treated as an urgent upgrade item. Because the attack surface is authentication-related and network reachable, exposed webmail instances deserve prompt review and remediation.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade Roundcube to version 1.1.0 or later.
  • Verify whether the Password plugin is enabled and whether the DBMail driver is in use.
  • Review externally reachable Roundcube instances first, especially those handling untrusted authentication traffic.
  • Confirm deployed versions against the vulnerable range listed by NVD before and after remediation.
  • Track the vendor advisory and NVD record for any additional clarification or follow-on guidance.

Evidence notes

The CVE description provided in the source corpus states that multiple buffer overflows exist in the DBMail driver in the Password plugin in Roundcube before 1.1.0 and that remote attackers may have unspecified impact via the password or username. NVD’s modified record lists the vulnerable CPE range as Roundcube webmail versions ending before 1.1.0 and assigns CWE-119 with a CVSS 3.0 score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). The record was published on 2017-01-30 and modified on 2026-05-13; there is no KEV entry in the supplied timeline.

Official resources

CVE published 2017-01-30; NVD record modified 2026-05-13. No Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) entry is listed in the supplied timeline.