postfix — security advisory
Postfix 2.4 before 2.4.9, 2.5 before 2.5.5, and 2.6 before 2.6-20080902, when used with the Linux 2.6 kernel, leaks epoll file descriptors during execution of "non-Postfix" commands, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (application slowdown or exit) via a crafted command, as demonstrated by a command in a .forward file.
- Products
- postfix
- Affected versions
- Not specified
- Fixed versions
- 2.5.5-1
- CVEs
- CVE-2008-3889
- Confirmed fixed CVEs
- Not specified
- Updated in this feed
- 31 Oct 2026, 22:33 UTC · Revision 1
Source evidence
Postfix 2.4 before 2.4.9, 2.5 before 2.5.5, and 2.6 before 2.6-20080902, when used with the Linux 2.6 kernel, leaks epoll file descriptors during execution of "non-Postfix" commands, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (application slowdown or exit) via a crafted command, as demonstrated by a command in a .forward file.
osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3889
postfix
Fixed versions: 2.5.5-1
postfix
Fixed versions: 2.5.5-1
postfix
Fixed versions: 2.5.5-1
Complete source record
{
"id": "fb3d98ac3817602a5a1961f2fcc6914885d13be106a592e9648fedad294c04a0",
"url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3889",
"method": "structured",
"payload": {
"kind": "advisory",
"title": "DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3889",
"summary": "Postfix 2.4 before 2.4.9, 2.5 before 2.5.5, and 2.6 before 2.6-20080902, when used with the Linux 2.6 kernel, leaks epoll file descriptors during execution of \"non-Postfix\" commands, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (application slowdown or exit) via a crafted command, as demonstrated by a command in a .forward file.",
"evidence": "osv:DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3889",
"products": [
{
"name": {
"value": "postfix",
"evidence": "/affected/0/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [
{
"value": "2.5.5-1",
"evidence": "/affected/0/ranges"
}
],
"affected_versions": []
},
{
"name": {
"value": "postfix",
"evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [
{
"value": "2.5.5-1",
"evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
}
],
"affected_versions": []
},
{
"name": {
"value": "postfix",
"evidence": "/affected/2/package/name"
},
"prerequisites": [],
"fixed_versions": [
{
"value": "2.5.5-1",
"evidence": "/affected/2/ranges"
}
],
"affected_versions": []
}
],
"severity": "unknown",
"structured": {
"id": "DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3889",
"aliases": [
"DEBIAN-CVE-2008-3889"
],
"affected": [
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "2.5.5-1"
}
]
}
],
"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-2008-3889.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"urgency": "low"
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "2.5.5-1"
}
]
}
],
"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-2008-3889.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"urgency": "low"
}
},
{
"ranges": [
{
"type": "ECOSYSTEM",
"events": [
{
"introduced": "0"
},
{
"fixed": "2.5.5-1"
}
]
}
],
"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-2008-3889.json"
},
"ecosystem_specific": {
"urgency": "low"
}
}
],
"modified": "2026-10-23T17:47:24.288559485Z",
"provider": "osv",
"upstream": [
"CVE-2008-3889"
],
"references": [
"https://security-tracker.debian.org/tracker/CVE-2008-3889"
]
},
"related_cves": [
{
"value": "CVE-2008-3889",
"evidence": "/upstream"
}
],
"security_relevant": true,
"severity_evidence": null
},
"source_id": "core-osv",
"document_id": 416740,
"published_at": "2008-09-12T16:56:20.587+00:00"
}