CVE-2002-1388 in MHonArc
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in MHonArc before 2.5.14 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary HTML into web archive pages via HTML mail messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/22/2019
The CVE-2002-1388 vulnerability represents a classic cross-site scripting flaw in the MHonArc email archiving software, which was widely used for converting email messages into web pages. This vulnerability existed in versions prior to 2.5.14 and allowed malicious actors to exploit the application's handling of HTML content within email messages. The flaw specifically manifested when MHonArc processed HTML emails and failed to properly sanitize or escape user-supplied input before rendering it in web archive pages, creating an avenue for persistent cross-site scripting attacks.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which categorizes improper neutralization of input during web page generation as a primary weakness. When MHonArc encountered HTML mail messages containing malicious script tags or other harmful content, it would incorporate this unfiltered data directly into the generated web pages without adequate sanitization measures. This processing behavior created a persistent XSS vector where attackers could embed malicious JavaScript code, HTML tags, or other harmful content within email messages that would then be executed in the browsers of users viewing the archived content. The vulnerability was particularly concerning because it operated at the application layer where email content was transformed into web-deliverable formats, making it a prime target for social engineering attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extended beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it could enable attackers to perform session hijacking, redirect users to malicious websites, or steal sensitive information from authenticated sessions. Users who accessed archived email messages through the vulnerable MHonArc application would unknowingly execute malicious code in their browsers, potentially compromising their entire browsing session. The attack vector was particularly insidious because it required no direct interaction with the vulnerable system itself, but rather exploitation of the email archiving process where users would simply view archived content. This made the vulnerability particularly dangerous in corporate environments where email archives were frequently accessed by multiple users and often contained sensitive business communications.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2002-1388 centered on upgrading to MHonArc version 2.5.14 or later, which included proper input sanitization and output encoding mechanisms. Organizations should have implemented comprehensive email filtering and content validation procedures to prevent malicious HTML content from entering the archiving system. The vulnerability also highlighted the importance of input validation at multiple layers within web applications, reinforcing the principles outlined in the OWASP Top Ten security risks. Security practitioners should have deployed web application firewalls and content security policies to provide additional defense in depth. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning of email archiving systems would have helped identify similar weaknesses in other components of the email infrastructure, aligning with the ATT&CK framework's approach to identifying and mitigating web application vulnerabilities through systematic security controls and monitoring procedures.