CVE-2003-0992 in Mailman
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the create CGI script for Mailman before 2.1.3 allows remote attackers to steal cookies of other users.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/03/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2003-0992 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the Mailman mailing list management system's create CGI script. This vulnerability affects Mailman versions prior to 2.1.3 and specifically targets the web interface component that handles user account creation processes. The flaw enables remote attackers to inject malicious scripts into the web application's response, which then executes in the context of other users' browsers. This particular vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as a failure to sanitize user input, making it a classic example of a client-side code injection vulnerability that has been prevalent in web applications since the early days of internet-based services.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability occurs within the create CGI script where user-supplied input is not properly validated or sanitized before being rendered in the web page output. When a user submits data through the mailing list creation form, the application fails to adequately escape special characters in the input fields, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code. This code executes in the browser context of other users who view the affected page, enabling the attacker to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or redirect them to malicious sites. The vulnerability specifically targets the cookie theft mechanism, which is a common exploitation technique for session hijacking attacks that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1539.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple cookie theft, as it provides attackers with unauthorized access to user sessions and potentially sensitive mailing list data. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to gain administrative privileges within the mailing list system, modify list configurations, or access private mailing list communications. The attack vector requires no authentication from the victim, as the malicious script executes automatically when they browse to a page containing the injected payload. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where Mailman is used for sensitive communications or where users may not be security-aware. The vulnerability also demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and output encoding in web applications, as the issue could have been prevented through proper sanitization of user input before rendering it in the web interface. Organizations using vulnerable versions of Mailman would be exposed to persistent threats where attackers could maintain access to mailing list systems for extended periods, potentially leading to data breaches or unauthorized communications through compromised mailing lists. The vulnerability serves as a historical example of how early web application security practices were often inadequate, highlighting the need for comprehensive security testing and input validation mechanisms that have since become standard practice in modern web development frameworks and security protocols.