CVE-2004-2650: James server Denial of Service Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-92j7-34x9-f3jw
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CWE-400
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2004-2650 is a MODERATE denial of service vulnerability (CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting James server libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The issue involves apache james denial of service. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 2.2.0.

CVE-2004-2650 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2004-2650
GHSA Identifier GHSA-92j7-34x9-f3jw
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score N/A
CWE Classification CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Affected Product James server
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

How to Fix CVE-2004-2650

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected James server dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

org.apache.james:james-server fixed: 2.2.0 
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.apache.james</groupId>
    <artifactId>james-server</artifactId>
    <version>2.2.0</version>
</dependency>
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.james

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2004-2650, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.james

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of James server in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 2.2.0), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.james command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption, where the product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource. In James server, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

Spooler in Apache Foundation James before 2.2.0 allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by triggering various error conditions in the retrieve function, which prevents a lock from being released and causes a memory leak.

CVE-2004-2650 Affected James server Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
2.2.0
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
org.apache.james:james-server
maven/org.apache.james/james-server
Maven
< 2.2.0
2.2.0

References

NVD — CVE-2004-2650 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2004-2650
issues.apache.org/jira/browse/james-2... WEB
http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/JAMES-268
james.apache.org/changelog.html WEB
http://james.apache.org/changelog.html
James server Security Information SECURITY
http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/15765

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2004-2650?
CVE-2004-2650 is a security vulnerability in James server involving Apache James Denial of Service under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption.
Which James server versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 2.2.0 across affected packages: org.apache.james:james-server.
What version fixes CVE-2004-2650?
Upgrading to 2.2.0 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is james-server affected?
Yes, org.apache.james:james-server is affected in releases prior to 2.2.0. Upgrade your dependency to 2.2.0 or later.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2004-2650?
CVE-2004-2650 is classified under CWE-400: Uncontrolled Resource Consumption (The product does not properly control the allocation and maintenance of a limited resource.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2004-2650?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree -Dincludes=org.apache.james'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-92j7-34x9-f3jw",
  "modified" : "2023-09-18T23:29:49Z",
  "published" : "2022-04-29T03:01:51Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2004-2650" ],
  "summary" : "Apache James Denial of Service",
  "details" : "Spooler in Apache Foundation James before 2.2.0 allows local users to cause a denial of service (memory consumption) by triggering various error conditions in the retrieve function, which prevents a lock from being released and causes a memory leak.",
  "severity" : [ ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Maven",
      "name" : "org.apache.james:james-server"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "2.2.0"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2004-2650"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/JAMES-268"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://james.apache.org/changelog.html"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/15765"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-400" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2023-09-18T23:29:49Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2004-12-31T05:00:00Z"
  }
}