CVE-2000-1129 in WebShield SMTP
Summary
by MITRE
McAfee WebShield SMTP 4.5 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service via a malformed recipient field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2000-1129 affects McAfee WebShield SMTP version 4.5, representing a critical denial of service weakness that can be exploited by remote attackers through manipulation of the recipient field in email messages. This flaw resides within the email filtering and security software designed to protect networks from malicious email traffic, specifically targeting the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol implementation within the WebShield solution.
The technical exploitation mechanism involves sending specially crafted email messages containing malformed recipient fields to the affected SMTP server. When the system processes these malformed inputs, it fails to properly validate or handle the unexpected data structure, leading to system instability and eventual service disruption. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation, which is commonly associated with CWE-20 - Improper Input Validation, where the application fails to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied data before processing.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service interruption, as it can potentially allow attackers to systematically disrupt email services within organizations that rely on McAfee WebShield for email security. Network administrators may experience significant downtime while attempting to restore service, and the disruption can affect business communications and productivity. The remote nature of the attack means that threat actors do not require physical access to the network or direct system interaction to exploit the vulnerability, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where email is a critical business function.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in network security appliances and the potential for seemingly minor flaws to create significant operational disruptions. The attack pattern aligns with techniques documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1498 - Network Denial of Service tactic, where adversaries seek to disrupt services through various methods including malformed packet or message construction. Organizations implementing email security solutions must ensure proper input sanitization and validation mechanisms are in place to prevent such exploitation vectors from compromising system availability.
The remediation strategy for this vulnerability requires immediate application of vendor patches or updates to McAfee WebShield SMTP version 4.5, as well as implementation of network-level mitigations such as email filtering rules that can detect and block malformed recipient fields before they reach the vulnerable system. Security teams should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect unusual patterns of service disruption or abnormal email processing behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular vulnerability assessments and security updates should be maintained to prevent similar issues from arising in other components of the email infrastructure.