postfix — security advisory
The address parser code in Postfix 1.1.12 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (lock) via (1) a malformed envelope address to a local host that would generate a bounce and contains the ".!" string in the MAIL FROM or Errors-To headers, which causes nqmgr to lock up, or (2) via a valid MAIL FROM with a RCPT TO containing a ".!" string, which causes an instance of the SMTP listener to lock up.
- Products
- postfix
- Affected versions
- Not specified
- Fixed versions
- 1.1.12
- CVEs
- CVE-2003-0540
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 31 Oct 2026, 20:13 UTC · Revision 1
Source evidence
The address parser code in Postfix 1.1.12 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (lock) via (1) a malformed envelope address to a local host that would generate a bounce and contains the ".!" string in the MAIL FROM or Errors-To headers, which causes nqmgr to lock up, or (2) via a valid MAIL FROM with a RCPT TO containing a ".!" string, which causes an instance of the SMTP listener to lock up.
osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0540
postfix
Fixed versions: 1.1.12
postfix
Fixed versions: 1.1.12
postfix
Fixed versions: 1.1.12
Complete source record
{
"id": "f7c660d34c7d7c8589a7f195cf0a5c222fa1eff7ceff85c888fa0a1d6a775fca",
"url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0540",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0540",
"summary": "The address parser code in Postfix 1.1.12 and earlier allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (lock) via (1) a malformed envelope address to a local host that would generate a bounce and contains the \".!\" string in the MAIL FROM or Errors-To headers, which causes nqmgr to lock up, or (2) via a valid MAIL FROM with a RCPT TO containing a \".!\" string, which causes an instance of the SMTP listener to lock up.",
"evidence": "osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0540",
"products": [
{
"name": {
"value": "postfix",
"evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [
{
"value": "1.1.12",
"evidence": "/affected/0/ranges"
}
],
"affected_versions": []
},
{
"name": {
"value": "postfix",
"evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [
{
"value": "1.1.12",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
}
],
"affected_versions": []
},
{
"name": {
"value": "postfix",
"evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [
{
"value": "1.1.12",
"evidence": "/affected/2/ranges"
}
],
"affected_versions": []
}
],
"severity": "unknown",
"structured": {
"id": "DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0540",
"aliases": [
"DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0540"
],
"affected": [
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "1.1.12"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "postfix",
"purl": "pkg:deb/debian/postfix?arch=source&distro=bookworm",
"ecosystem": "Debian:12"
},
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0540.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"urgency": "not yet assigned"
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "1.1.12"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "postfix",
"purl": "pkg:deb/debian/postfix?arch=source&distro=trixie",
"ecosystem": "Debian:13"
},
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0540.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"urgency": "not yet assigned"
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "1.1.12"
}
]
}
],
"package": {
"name": "postfix",
"purl": "pkg:deb/debian/postfix?arch=source&distro=forky",
"ecosystem": "Debian:14"
},
"database_specific": {
"source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/debian-osv/debian-cve-osv/DEBIAN-CVE-2003-0540.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"urgency": "not yet assigned"
}
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-22T23:47:24.795597003Z",
"provider": "osv",
"upstream": [
"CVE-2003-0540"
],
"references": [
"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2003-0540"
]
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2003-0540",
"evidence": "/upstream"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": null
},
"source_id": "core-osv",
"document_id": 410461,
"published_at": "2003-08-27T04:00:00+00:00"
}