CVE-2026-4873: connection reuse ignores TLS requirement
Low
Vulnerability Details
Libcurl connection reuse for cleartext-upgrade mail protocols does not include the later transfer's CURLOPT_USE_SSL. If a plaintext connection to one of these protocols is already open and reusable, a later transfer that explicitly requires STARTTLS can incorrectly reuse that plaintext connection.
This affects smtp://, pop3://, and imap://
## Reproduction
Start the server:
```bash
python3 ./server.py --port 2525
```
Control:
```bash
curl -sv \
-u alice:pw \
--url 'imap://127.0.0.1:2525/Box/;MAILINDEX=1' \
--ssl-reqd
```
Reuse:
```bash
curl -sv \
-u alice:pw \
--url 'imap://127.0.0.1:2525/' \
-X NOOP \
--next \
-sv \
-u alice:pw \
--url 'imap://127.0.0.1:2525/Box/;MAILINDEX=1' \
--ssl-reqd
```
## Impact
A later TLS-required mail transfer can be sent over a previously established plaintext connection, contrary to expectation.
Actions
View on HackerOneReport Stats
- Report ID: 3621851
- State: Closed
- Substate: resolved