CVE-2002-1903 in Pine
Summary
by MITRE
Pine 4.2.1 through 4.4.4 puts Unix usernames and/or uid into Sender: and X-Sender: headers, which could allow remote attackers to obtain sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/05/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-1903 affects Pine email client versions 4.2.1 through 4.4.4 and represents a significant information disclosure issue that undermines the security of email communications. This flaw stems from the application's improper handling of user identification data during email header construction, specifically within the Sender: and X-Sender: fields that are automatically populated when messages are sent through the client.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves Pine's inclusion of Unix usernames and user identifiers directly into email headers without adequate sanitization or access control measures. When users compose and send emails through the affected Pine versions, the application automatically populates these header fields with system-level information that reveals underlying user accounts and their associated numeric identifiers. This behavior creates a scenario where remote attackers can potentially intercept email communications and extract sensitive system information that would normally be protected within the operating system's user management framework.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability exposes organizations to several security risks that extend beyond simple information disclosure. The leaked username and uid information can facilitate further attacks by providing attackers with valuable reconnaissance data for privilege escalation attempts or targeted social engineering campaigns. The exposure of Unix user identifiers creates opportunities for attackers to map user accounts to specific system resources, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks that exploit known user privileges or identify users with elevated system access. This information leakage directly impacts the confidentiality and integrity of email communications within affected environments.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses improper exposure of sensitive information, and demonstrates how applications can inadvertently reveal system-level details through seemingly innocuous header fields. From an attacker's perspective, this weakness maps to techniques described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the information gathering and credential access phases, where adversaries seek to enumerate system users and account information. The impact extends beyond individual user privacy concerns to potentially compromise entire organizational security postures by providing attackers with foundational information needed for more advanced exploitation techniques.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Pine versions that address this vulnerability, typically those beyond 4.4.4, and consider implementing additional email filtering rules that can detect and sanitize potentially sensitive information in email headers. Network administrators should also establish monitoring procedures to detect unusual patterns in email header content that might indicate exploitation attempts. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of email client configurations to ensure that no other applications are exhibiting similar behaviors, and implement proper access controls to limit information exposure in email header fields. The remediation process should include thorough testing of updated configurations to ensure that legitimate email functionality remains intact while eliminating the information disclosure risk.