CVE-2004-1130 in CMailServer
Summary
by MITRE
Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in admin.asp in CMailServer 5.2 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary web script or HTML via personal information fields, such as (1) username, (2) name, or (3) comments.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/19/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-1130 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw within the CMailServer 5.2 administrative interface. This issue specifically affects the admin.asp page where user input is processed without adequate sanitization or validation mechanisms. The vulnerability exists in the handling of personal information fields including username, name, and comments, which are commonly used in administrative user management interfaces. The flaw allows remote attackers to inject malicious web scripts or HTML code that executes in the context of other users' browsers when they view the affected administrative pages.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability constitutes a classic reflected cross-site scripting attack vector where malicious input is directly reflected back to users without proper encoding or filtering. The vulnerability occurs because the application fails to sanitize user-supplied data before rendering it in web responses, creating an environment where attacker-controlled content can be executed in the browser context of legitimate users. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-79 as "Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')", which is one of the most prevalent and dangerous web application security flaws.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to perform various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and data exfiltration. An attacker could craft malicious input containing script code in any of the three vulnerable fields and when an administrator views the administrative page, the injected code would execute in their browser context. This could lead to unauthorized access to administrative functions, modification of user accounts, or even complete system compromise depending on the privileges of the affected administrator. The attack requires no special privileges to initiate, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone who can submit data to the vulnerable fields.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of defense to mitigate this vulnerability. Input validation and output encoding should be implemented at the application level to prevent malicious content from being stored or executed. The recommended approach includes sanitizing all user inputs before processing and ensuring proper HTML encoding of dynamic content before rendering. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious input patterns. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other application components. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for "Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment" where the initial compromise occurs through malicious web content. The remediation strategy should also include user education regarding the dangers of clicking on suspicious links or entering data in untrusted environments, though the primary defense must be technical controls within the application itself.