CVE-2002-1770 in Eudora
Summary
by MITRE
Qualcomm Eudora 5.1 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via an HTML e-mail message that uses a file:// URL in a t:video tag to reference an attached Windows Media Player file containing JavaScript code, which is launched and executed in the My Computer zone by Internet Explorer.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/21/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2002-1770 represents a critical cross-domain execution flaw affecting Qualcomm Eudora version 5.1 email client. This security issue stems from the improper handling of HTML content within email messages, specifically when processing t:video tags that reference local files through file:// URLs. The flaw enables remote attackers to craft malicious email messages that can execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems without user interaction, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where email is a primary communication channel.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits the trust relationship between Internet Explorer and local file systems through the My Computer zone security model. When Eudora processes an HTML email containing a t:video tag with a file:// URL pointing to an attached Windows Media Player file, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the referenced content. The Windows Media Player file contains embedded JavaScript code that gets executed within Internet Explorer's context, bypassing normal security boundaries. This behavior aligns with CWE-749, which describes the exposure of a remote code execution vulnerability through the improper handling of potentially dangerous input, and specifically relates to CWE-1107 which addresses the improper handling of untrusted input in web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it allows attackers to gain unauthorized access to compromised systems with the privileges of the logged-in user. The attack vector requires only that a user open a specially crafted email message, making it particularly effective for phishing campaigns and social engineering attacks. The vulnerability affects the Windows Media Player file format which is commonly used for multimedia content, providing attackers with multiple opportunities to embed malicious code within seemingly legitimate email attachments. This flaw demonstrates the dangerous intersection of rich media content processing and email security, where multimedia content processing can be leveraged to bypass traditional security boundaries.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. Users should be advised to disable the automatic execution of multimedia content within email clients and to avoid opening email attachments from untrusted sources. System administrators should implement email filtering rules that block or quarantine emails containing t:video tags or file:// URL references, particularly when these appear in suspicious contexts. The security community should also consider this vulnerability as an example of how legacy email clients can become attack vectors for modern exploitation techniques, similar to the patterns observed in the ATT&CK framework under the technique T1204.002 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment." Organizations should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for email processing, as recommended by the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, to isolate potentially malicious content from the primary system environment.