CVE-2002-2408 in NTMail
Summary
by MITRE
Gordano Messaging Server (GMS) Mail 8 (a.k.a. NTMail) only filters email messages for the first recipient, which allows remote attackers to bypass JUCE filters by sending a message to more than one user on the GMS server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2002-2408 affects the Gordano Messaging Server version 8, also known as NTMail, presenting a critical security flaw in email message filtering mechanisms. This issue stems from the server's design limitation where email filtering operations are executed exclusively for the first recipient in a message distribution list rather than for all intended recipients. The fundamental technical flaw resides in the server's message processing logic which fails to iterate through all recipient addresses when applying security filters, creating a systematic bypass opportunity for malicious actors. This behavior directly violates security principles that mandate comprehensive validation and filtering across all message components, particularly in multi-recipient scenarios where each recipient should undergo identical security scrutiny.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple message filtering failures, creating a significant attack surface for remote threat actors seeking to circumvent content security policies implemented through JUCE filters. JUCE filters represent a critical security control mechanism within the messaging infrastructure designed to prevent malicious content from reaching end users, including protection against spam, malware, and other unwanted communications. When attackers exploit this vulnerability by crafting messages with multiple recipients, they can effectively deliver harmful content to users who would normally be protected by the filtering system, as the security controls only apply to the first addressed recipient. This creates a scenario where legitimate security policies are systematically bypassed, potentially allowing malicious payloads to reach multiple users simultaneously without detection.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control in software systems, as the flaw represents a failure in access control enforcement that allows unauthorized actions to occur through legitimate system interfaces. The attack vector follows ATT&CK technique T1190, which involves exploiting vulnerabilities in network infrastructure and messaging systems to gain unauthorized access to protected resources. The security implications extend to potential data exfiltration, system compromise, and widespread distribution of malicious content across multiple user accounts within the affected messaging environment. Organizations utilizing this messaging server configuration face significant risk of security breaches where attackers can systematically bypass content filtering mechanisms designed to protect against email-based threats.
The mitigation strategy requires immediate implementation of server updates or patches provided by the vendor to address the recipient filtering logic flaw. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as redundant filtering layers, enhanced monitoring of message delivery patterns, and regular security assessments of messaging infrastructure components. Network segmentation and additional email security controls beyond the default JUCE filters should be deployed to provide layered protection against exploitation attempts. System administrators must conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the affected software and ensure complete remediation across the entire messaging infrastructure to prevent attackers from leveraging this persistent flaw in email security controls.