CVE-2003-1477 in MIMEsweeper for SMTP
Summary
by MITRE
MAILsweeper for SMTP 4.3.6 and 4.3.7 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (CPU consumption) via a PowerPoint attachment that either (1) is corrupt or (2) contains "embedded objects."
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2019
The vulnerability described in CVE-2003-1477 affects MAILsweeper for SMTP versions 4.3.6 and 4.3.7, representing a significant security flaw that enables remote attackers to execute denial of service attacks through carefully crafted PowerPoint attachments. This issue falls under the broader category of resource exhaustion attacks that target email security solutions, specifically exploiting the processing mechanisms of the MAILsweeper software. The vulnerability demonstrates how email filtering and scanning systems can be undermined through malicious file attachments, creating a pathway for attackers to consume excessive system resources and render the service unavailable to legitimate users.
The technical flaw manifests when MAILsweeper for SMTP processes PowerPoint attachments that either contain corrupt data structures or include embedded objects that trigger malformed processing sequences. This particular vulnerability operates by exploiting the software's handling of Microsoft PowerPoint files, which are commonly used as attachment types in email communications. When the system attempts to scan or analyze these specific file types, the malformed PowerPoint content causes the application to enter into resource-intensive processing loops or memory allocation issues. The flaw specifically targets the file parsing and content analysis components within the MAILsweeper SMTP filtering system, where the software attempts to extract metadata or render embedded objects from the PowerPoint files. This processing behavior results in continuous CPU utilization that can escalate to complete system unresponsiveness, effectively creating a denial of service condition.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the entire email security infrastructure. Organizations relying on MAILsweeper for SMTP protection face significant risks when attackers exploit this flaw, as the denial of service can affect legitimate email traffic and potentially allow malicious emails to bypass security measures. The vulnerability particularly affects systems where email filtering occurs in real-time, as the CPU consumption can overwhelm the processing capabilities of the security appliance. This attack vector represents a classic example of how file format parsing vulnerabilities can be weaponized to create system instability, with implications for network availability and email service continuity. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by any internet-connected attacker.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to patched versions of MAILsweeper for SMTP, implementing network-level filtering to block PowerPoint attachments, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect unusual CPU consumption patterns. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-400, which addresses "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and represents a specific instance of resource exhaustion attacks that can be mitigated through proper input validation and resource management. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving denial of service through resource exhaustion and can be categorized under the broader threat actor tactics related to availability disruption. Security teams should also consider implementing sandboxing mechanisms for file analysis, establishing rate limiting for email processing, and maintaining detailed logging of file processing activities to detect potential exploitation attempts. The incident underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date security solutions and implementing layered defense strategies to protect against such vulnerabilities that can compromise core infrastructure services.