# CVE-2026-85111: Apache James Mime4J resource exhaustion in MIME parsing

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-85111-allocation-of-resources-without-limits-or-throttling-in-apache  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-11-06. Updated: 2026-11-06  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-85111 · Severity: info · Published 2026-11-06

Apache James Mime4J is a library that parses email MIME messages used by email servers and applications. A flaw allows attackers to craft malicious MIME messages that consume unlimited system resources during parsing, causing the email server or service to become unresponsive or crash, resulting in a denial of service.

Technologies: [Apache James](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/james). Vendors: [Apache](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/apache).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-85111 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-85111 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-85111?** Informational severity, published 6 November 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Apache James prior to 3.9.1; Apache Mime4J prior to 0.8.15.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-85111?** Yes: fixed in Mime4J 0.8.15; Apache James 3.9.1. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-85111 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a software library.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-85111?** Check whether you run Apache James or Apache Mime4J at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in Mime4J 0.8.15; Apache James 3.9.1

## Technical details

The vulnerability is an allocation of resources without limits or throttling (CWE-770) in the MIME message parser that fails to enforce bounds on resource consumption during parsing. An attacker can send a specially crafted MIME message that triggers excessive resource allocation, leading to denial of service. The flaw is fixed in Mime4J version 0.8.15 and Apache James server 3.9.1.

## Affected products

- Apache Mime4J prior to 0.8.15
- Apache James prior to 3.9.1

## Timeline

- 2026-11-06: disclosed

## References

- [https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2](https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2)
- [https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/j1bql696qvg935lp8zo0m626jp9n0h8q](https://lists.apache.org/thread.html/j1bql696qvg935lp8zo0m626jp9n0h8q)

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