CVE-2004-1719 in Icewarp
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in Merak Webmail Server 5.2.7 allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via the (1) category, (2) cserver, (3) ext, (4) global, (5) showgroups, (6) or showlite parameters to address.html, or the (7) spage or (8) autoresponder parameters to settings.html, the (9) folder parameter to readmail.html, or the (10) attachmentpage_text_error parameter to attachment.html, (11) folder, (12) ct, or (13) cv parameters to calendar.html, (14) an tag, or (15) the subject of an e-mail message.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2025
The CVE-2004-1719 vulnerability represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw affecting Merak Webmail Server version 5.2.7, demonstrating a classic input validation weakness that has persisted as a fundamental web application security concern since the early 2000s. This vulnerability stems from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input across multiple HTML parameters within the webmail interface, creating an attack surface that allows remote threat actors to inject malicious script code into web pages viewed by other users. The vulnerability affects core webmail functionality including address management, settings configuration, email reading, attachment handling, and calendar operations, making it particularly dangerous as it can compromise user sessions and potentially lead to full account takeovers. The flaw operates under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities, where insufficient validation of input data allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of the victim's browser.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through multiple attack vectors within the Merak Webmail Server's web interface, each representing distinct parameter injection points that bypass proper input filtering mechanisms. Attackers can target the address.html page through parameters including category, cserver, ext, global, showgroups, and showlite, while settings.html accepts spage and autoresponder parameters as attack vectors. The readmail.html page presents vulnerability through the folder parameter, attachment.html through attachmentpage_text_error, calendar.html through folder, ct, and cv parameters, and additionally through the an tag and email subject fields. These multiple entry points demonstrate the widespread nature of the input validation failure, suggesting a systemic lack of proper sanitization across the application's parameter handling mechanisms. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to inject malicious HTML and JavaScript code that executes in the context of other users' browsers when they access the affected pages, creating a persistent threat that can be leveraged for session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites.
The operational impact of CVE-2004-1719 extends beyond simple script injection, as it provides attackers with the capability to establish persistent footholds within email environments where the webmail server serves as a primary communication platform. Users accessing compromised pages could unknowingly execute malicious scripts that capture session cookies, redirect them to attacker-controlled domains, or even modify email content before it reaches its intended recipients. The vulnerability's scope across multiple webmail operations means that a single successful attack could compromise various aspects of user communication, from contact management to calendar scheduling, potentially enabling more sophisticated attacks such as phishing campaigns or privilege escalation within the email ecosystem. This vulnerability particularly affects organizations relying on Merak Webmail Server for business communication, where email serves as a primary channel for sensitive business information exchange. The attack vectors align with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers credential harvesting through phishing and social engineering, as the XSS vulnerability could be combined with other attack vectors to create comprehensive compromise scenarios.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and output encoding for all web parameters, particularly those handling user-supplied data in webmail contexts. The remediation approach should focus on implementing proper HTML escaping for all dynamic content before rendering, ensuring that any user-provided input undergoes sanitization before being processed or displayed. Security measures should include deploying web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious script injection attempts, implementing content security policies to restrict script execution, and conducting comprehensive input validation across all affected parameters. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of defense-in-depth strategies, as the presence of multiple attack vectors within a single application demonstrates how insufficient input validation can create cascading security failures. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be implemented to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications, particularly focusing on the validation of parameters in web forms and URL query strings. Additionally, user education regarding suspicious email content and the importance of verifying email sources remains crucial, as the vulnerability can be exploited through email content injection that targets users' trust in legitimate email communications.