CVE-2004-2513 in Pegasus
Summary
by MITRE
Buffer overflow in the IMAP service of Mercury (Pegasus) Mail 4.01 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via a long SELECT command.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2513 represents a critical buffer overflow flaw within the IMAP service component of Mercury (Pegasus) Mail version 4.01. This security weakness specifically manifests when the service processes a malformed SELECT command, creating an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by remote attackers to gain unauthorized control over the affected system. The vulnerability resides in the improper handling of input data within the mail server's IMAP implementation, where insufficient bounds checking allows maliciously crafted input to overwrite adjacent memory regions.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with common buffer overflow patterns that fall under the CWE-121 category of stack-based buffer overflow, though it could also be classified as a heap-based overflow depending on the specific memory layout during execution. When a remote attacker sends a specially crafted SELECT command containing an excessive amount of data, the application fails to validate the input length before copying it into a fixed-size buffer. This allows the attacker to overwrite return addresses, function pointers, or other critical control data structures in memory, potentially enabling arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the IMAP service process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation as it provides attackers with a direct path to compromise the entire mail server infrastructure. Since the IMAP service is typically accessible over the network and often runs with elevated privileges, successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or establishment of persistent backdoors. The remote nature of the attack means that adversaries do not require physical access or local network presence, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where mail servers are exposed to the internet. Organizations running Mercury Mail 4.01 with IMAP services enabled face significant risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the Mercury Mail server software to the latest available version that addresses this specific buffer overflow condition. System administrators should implement network segmentation to limit access to IMAP ports, employ intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious SELECT command patterns, and consider disabling unnecessary IMAP functionality if not required for business operations. The remediation process should also include comprehensive network scanning to identify all affected systems and application of security patches through established change management procedures. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security controls such as network access controls, logging and monitoring of IMAP traffic, and regular vulnerability assessments to identify similar weaknesses in other mail server implementations. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and memory management practices in network services, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1059 for command and script injection, as attackers can leverage such flaws to execute malicious code remotely through network protocols.