CVE-2018-14358 : Security Advisory and Response

A problem has been found in versions of Mutt prior to 1.10.1 and NeoMutt prior to 2018-07-16. The vulnerability exists in the file imap/message.c, involving a stack-based buffer overflow when processing a FETCH response with a lengthy RFC822.SIZE field.

Understanding CVE-2018-14358

This CVE involves a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Mutt and NeoMutt versions.

What is CVE-2018-14358?

CVE-2018-14358 is a vulnerability found in Mutt and NeoMutt versions, allowing exploitation through a buffer overflow in the imap/message.c file.

The Impact of CVE-2018-14358

This vulnerability can be exploited by attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service by crashing the application.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-14358

This section provides detailed technical information about the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from a stack-based buffer overflow in the imap/message.c file when processing a FETCH response with an extended RFC822.SIZE field.

Affected Systems and Versions

Mutt versions prior to 1.10.1
NeoMutt versions prior to 2018-07-16

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting a malicious FETCH response containing a lengthy RFC822.SIZE field, triggering the buffer overflow.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2018-14358 with these mitigation strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Apply patches provided by the vendors promptly.
Monitor vendor advisories and security mailing lists for updates.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update software to the latest versions.
Implement network security measures to detect and block malicious activities.

Patching and Updates

Update Mutt to version 1.10.1 or later.
Update NeoMutt to version 2018-07-16 or newer.