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Zimbra Collaboration Suite EUVDEUVD-2026-108979

| CVE-2026-50056 HIGH
Improper Neutralization of Argument Delimiters in a Command ('Argument Injection') (CWE-88)
2026-10-23 rapid7 GHSA-ww99-8662-82q8
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: rapid7
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain local shell as zimbra account
  2. Exploit
    Invoke passwordless sudo zmmailboxdmgr with crafted JVM args
  3. Execution
    Postpone Jetty privilege drop, register OnOutOfMemoryError command
  4. Impact
    Force heap exhaustion to run command as root

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V1 - Encoding and Sanitization Argument sanitization
Exploitation Conditions

Requires the attacker to already hold local command execution as the Unix 'zimbra' account on a Zimbra mailbox server. The flaw is reachable because the passwordless sudo interface to the zmmailboxdmgr launcher does not adequately restrict JVM arguments, allowing the attacker to postpone Jetty's privilege drop and register an OnOutOfMemoryError command that executes before the process drops from root. Limiting factors: no remote/network vector (local only), a pre-existing zimbra-level foothold is mandatory, exploitation is disruptive because it interrupts mailboxd during the malicious restart, and only affected ZCS builds (10.1.16 and 10.1.21, per EUVD ≤10.1.21) are vulnerable.

Impact

This is a genuine but access-gated privilege escalation, not a high-CVSS-but-low-real-risk paper vulnerability - yet its priority sits below internet-facing Zimbra flaws because it is local-only and requires a pre-existing foothold. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U, 7.8) is internally consistent with the description: exploitation needs local command execution as the unprivileged zimbra Unix account (PR:L) on a mailbox server, is low-complexity, and yields full root (C:H/I:H/A:H). The real risk is therefore chaining: an attacker who first lands code execution as zimbra (e.g. via a separate web/mailbox RCE or credential compromise) uses this to reach root. No EPSS score and no KEV listing were provided, so there is no evidence of widespread or active exploitation; the vuln.today decision label is 'this_week' (not act_now/emergency), aligning with a serious-but-not-fire-drill posture. A detailed public technical write-up from Rapid7 exists, which lowers the research bar for exploitation even though it is not confirmed as drop-in working exploit code. Net: patch on a prompt (this-week) cadence, prioritizing mailbox servers reachable by lower-privileged services, but this is a post-compromise escalation rather than an initial-access emergency.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has already achieved command execution as the Unix 'zimbra' account (for example through a separate mailbox-server compromise) invokes the passwordless sudo zmmailboxdmgr launcher with crafted JVM arguments. They postpone Jetty's privilege drop, register an OnOutOfMemoryError command, and force heap exhaustion during startup so their command runs while the JVM is still root - yielding full root on the mailbox server. A public Rapid7 technical analysis describes the technique, though verified working exploit code is not confirmed in the provided data.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 23, 2026

Local privilege escalation in the zmmailboxdmgr launcher of Zimbra Collaboration Suite lets the Unix zimbra account execute arbitrary commands as root, breaking the boundary between the mail service account and the host. Because the launcher's passwordless sudo path does not adequately restrict JVM arguments (CWE-88 argument injection), an attacker with a zimbra-level foothold on a mailbox server can delay Jetty's privilege drop and register an -XX:OnOutOfMemoryError command that fires while the JVM is still root, although the malicious restart interrupts mailboxd and is therefore disruptive. Affected builds are the identified ZCS 10.1.16 and 10.1.21 releases (EUVD lists versions up to and including 10.1.21); no KEV entry or confirmed working exploit code is present in the available data, though Rapid7 has published a technical research write-up of the technique, and the EPSS/KEV signal base is absent here. CVSS 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) reflects full root impact behind a mandatory local prerequisite, which places it at this-week rather than emergency priority.

RemediationAI

The available data does not identify a specific fixed ZCS build; the vendor's security advisory index at https://wiki.zimbra.com/wiki/Zimbra_Security_Advisories is where the corrected build for the 10.1.x line should be confirmed and applied, and the Rapid7 write-up at https://www.rapid7.com/blog/post/ve-breaking-zimbra-identity-boundaries-part-1/ documents the mechanism for verification testing. Until a fixed build is confirmed and deployed, treat the zimbra service account as a root-equivalent principal on mailbox servers and restrict interactive shell access, SSH keys, scheduled jobs and application-level code execution paths that could give an attacker that foothold, since the vulnerability is unreachable without it - the trade-off is reduced operational flexibility for mailbox administration and automation that legitimately runs as zimbra. Because the reachable path is the passwordless sudo rule into zmmailboxdmgr, reviewing and constraining that sudoers entry to the specific invocations needed for service control reduces exposure, at the cost that mailboxd restarts performed by other automation may break. Detection should focus on mailboxd startup events carrying unusual JVM options such as -XX:OnOutOfMemoryError and on unexpected heap-exhaustion restarts, and administrators should expect mailbox delivery interruption during any such event. Upgrading to a vendor-fixed build remains the only complete remedy.

Affected VersionsENISA

Zimbra Collaboration Suite 0 ≤10.1.21

Affected Packages

euvd zimbra_collaboration_suite no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

Zimbra's mailbox server runs as the Jetty-based mailboxd service, started by the zmmailboxdmgr launcher. That launcher is reachable through a passwordless sudo interface and accepts JVM arguments, which the flaw class CWE-88 (argument injection or modification) covers: the arguments are not validated or restricted to a safe set, so a caller can inject options that alter how the JVM starts and when it relinquishes root. The documented chain is to postpone Jetty's privilege drop, register an -XX:OnOutOfMemoryError handler carrying an arbitrary command, and then force heap exhaustion during startup so the handler runs before the process steps down from root. The attack is strictly local: it requires pre-existing command execution as the zimbra account on a mailbox server, and the restart of mailboxd that carries the injected arguments is service-disrupting. The CPE cpe:2.3:a:zimbra:zimbra_collaboration_suite:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* is broadly version-agnostic; the specific confirmed affected releases in the supplied data are ZCS 10.1.16 and 10.1.21, with EUVD recording the range as 0 through 10.1.21. The trigger details beyond this JVM-argument mechanism are as described by the Rapid7 research write-up referenced in the advisory set.

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Severity by source

Vendor (rapid7) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

Needs existing local execution as the low-privileged zimbra account (AV:L, PR:L), uses a reliable low-complexity JVM-argument abuse (AC:L), and achieves full root with a disruptive mailboxd restart (C/I/A:H).

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (rapid7).

CVSS VectorVendor: rapid7

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

A local privilege escalation vulnerability in the zmmailboxdmgr launcher of Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS) allows the Unix zimbra account to execute arbitrary commands as root. The passwordless sudo interface accepts JVM arguments that are not adequately restricted. An attacker can postpone Jetty's privilege drop, register an OnOutOfMemoryError command and force heap exhaustion during startup, causing the command to execute while the JVM still runs as root. Exploitation requires local command execution as zimbra on a mailbox server and interrupts mailboxd during the malicious restart. ZCS 10.1.16 and 10.1.21 are affected.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Zimbra Collaboration Suite version 10.1.16 and 10.1.21 contain a local privilege escalation flaw that allows an attacker with access to the zimbra service account to execute commands as root on the mail server. This could lead to full server compromise, data breach, and disruption of email services, requiring immediate patching and credential rotation.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations include restricting access to the zimbra account, monitoring for malicious JVM arguments, and enforcing least privilege on mailbox servers.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 89% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
widely used enterprise collaboration/email suite, but not universally deployed
Data Quality
3 sources
Confidence: Low

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Privilege escalation occurs when an attacker leverages flaws in access control mechanisms to gain permissions beyond what they were originally granted.

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