CVE-2004-0588 in Usermin
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the web mail module for Usermin 1.070 allows remote attackers to insert arbitrary HTML and script via e-mail messages.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-0588 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the web mail module of Usermin version 1.070. This security weakness resides in the email message handling functionality of the web-based administration interface, where user input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the browser context. The vulnerability specifically affects the processing of email messages that contain malicious HTML content, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary script code that executes within the context of other users' browsers who view these compromised messages.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when a remote attacker crafts an email message containing malicious script tags or HTML elements that are then processed and displayed by the Usermin web interface. When legitimate users access their email through the vulnerable web mail module, the browser renders the malicious content, potentially executing scripts in the context of the victim's session. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or sanitization. The flaw demonstrates a classic case of insufficient input validation and output encoding, where user-supplied content is directly embedded into web pages without proper security measures.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it can enable sophisticated attack vectors including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious sites. An attacker could craft emails containing scripts that steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or even execute commands on the victim's browser. The vulnerability affects the web-based email functionality of Usermin, which is commonly used by system administrators for managing user accounts and email services. This creates a significant risk for organizations relying on Usermin for their email administration, as successful exploitation could compromise the entire email infrastructure and potentially provide attackers with elevated privileges within the system. The attack can be executed remotely without requiring authentication to the target system, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited against any user who views the malicious email message.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching of the Usermin software to version 1.071 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms within their web applications, ensuring that all user-supplied content is sanitized before being rendered in browser contexts. The implementation of Content Security Policy headers can provide additional protection against script execution, while regular security assessments of web-based administrative interfaces should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers the use of malicious email content to deliver attacks, and demonstrates the importance of securing web-based management interfaces against injection attacks. Organizations should also consider implementing email filtering solutions that can detect and block suspicious content before it reaches end users, while maintaining regular updates and security monitoring of all web applications to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being exploited in the future.