CVE-2004-2379 in @Mail Webmail System
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in @Mail 3.64 for Windows allow remote attackers to inject arbitrary web script or HTML via (1) the Displayed Name attribute in util.pl and (2) the Folder attribute in showmail.pl.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2025
The vulnerability described in CVE-2004-2379 represents a critical security flaw in Mail 3.64 for Windows that exposes the application to multiple cross-site scripting attacks. This vulnerability affects the core email client functionality and demonstrates a fundamental failure in input validation and output encoding mechanisms. The flaw exists within two distinct components of the application's web interface, specifically util.pl and showmail.pl, which handle user-provided data in different contexts. The Mail application, designed for Windows environments, suffers from insufficient sanitization of user-supplied parameters that are directly incorporated into web responses without proper context-aware encoding.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the application's failure to properly validate and sanitize user input before rendering it within web pages. The first vector involves the Displayed Name attribute within util.pl, while the second vector targets the Folder attribute in showmail.pl. Both attack paths allow malicious actors to inject arbitrary web script or HTML content that gets executed in the context of other users' browsers. This occurs because the application does not implement proper output encoding or context-appropriate sanitization for user-controllable parameters that are rendered directly into HTML content. The vulnerability falls under CWE-79 which specifically addresses Cross-Site Scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement. Attackers can leverage these XSS flaws to perform session hijacking, steal cookies, redirect users to malicious sites, or execute arbitrary commands within the context of authenticated users. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access to the system or local network privileges to exploit these vulnerabilities. Users who access their email through the vulnerable @Mail application become potential victims when they view specially crafted emails containing malicious payloads. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that email applications typically handle sensitive personal and business information, making successful exploitation potentially devastating for affected organizations.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding across all user-controllable parameters. The most effective remediation involves sanitizing all user-provided input before it is processed or rendered within web contexts, particularly for attributes that are used in HTML generation. Organizations should implement context-aware encoding mechanisms that properly escape special characters based on the target execution context, whether it be HTML, JavaScript, or CSS. Additionally, the application should enforce strict parameter validation and consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to limit the execution of unauthorized scripts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of secure coding practices and input sanitization, which aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for Command and Scripting Interpreter. System administrators should also consider deploying web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious patterns in web traffic that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security updates and patch management processes are essential to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities like CVE-2004-2379 in legacy applications.