Executive brief
Roundcube Webmail, a widely used open-source email client, contains a security flaw in its password management plugin. This vulnerability could allow an authorized user to change their account password without knowing the current one. This could be exploited in specific scenarios to bypass standard security controls intended to verify a user's identity before allowing credential changes.
Technical details
A type confusion (type juggling) vulnerability exists in the Roundcube Webmail 'password' plugin due to the use of loose comparison operators (e.g., '==') during password verification. An authenticated attacker can exploit this by providing specifically crafted input that evaluates as true against the stored password hash or current password value. This allows the attacker to bypass the requirement of knowing the 'old password' when performing a password change operation. The issue is fixed in versions 1.5.14, 1.6.14, and 1.7-rc5.
Affected products
- Roundcube Webmail < 1.5.14, 1.6.0 to < 1.6.14
Timeline
- 2026-03-18: patched: Security updates released for 1.5, 1.6, and 1.7 branches.
- 2026-04-03: disclosed: Initial NVD publication.
References
- https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/commit/2e6a99b2a38110907ea8d3be8e59ec3d5802c394
- https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/commit/6a275676a8043083c05c961914d830b79e2490d4
- https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/commit/6fa2bddc59b9c9fd31cad4a9e2954a208d793dce
- https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.5.14
- https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.6.14
- https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/releases/tag/1.7-rc5
- https://roundcube.net/news/2026/03/18/security-updates-1.7-rc5-1.6.14-1.5.14