Comment 17 for bug 875440

in answer to Dan Moore https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/cyrus-sasl2/+bug/875440/comments/12
you can put single package in hold for update by synaptic o at command line by using

echo package_name hold | dpkg --set-selections
to activate the upgrade again
echo package_name install | dpkg --set-selections

Maybe is easyer with aptitude
so in our case is (ofcourse execute as root or add sudo at begin):
aptitude hold libsasl2-dev
aptitude hold libsasl2-modules-sql
aptitude hold libsasl2-2
aptitude hold libsasl2-modules
aptitude hold sasl2-bin

Later, when the bug will be fixed (it seem it will take a lot of time since is still unassigned), to put the package again in the upgrade cycle just execute:
aptitude unhold libsasl2-dev
aptitude unhold libsasl2-modules-sql
aptitude unhold libsasl2-2
aptitude unhold libsasl2-modules
aptitude unhold sasl2-bin

if later on you don't remember what did you put on hold, just type
dpkg --get-selections
to see only package on old
dpkg --get-selections | grep hold