CVE-2004-2586 in SmarterMail
Summary
by MITRE
Directory traversal vulnerability in frmGetAttachment.aspx in SmarterTools SmarterMail 1.6.1511 and 1.6.1529 allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via the filename parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/30/2018
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2004-2586 represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the SmarterTools SmarterMail web application version 1.6.1511 and 1.6.1529. This weakness exists in the frmGetAttachment.aspx component which processes file retrieval requests through the filename parameter. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to access arbitrary files on the server by manipulating the filename input parameter, potentially leading to unauthorized data disclosure and system compromise. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms that fail to properly restrict file path access, enabling attackers to navigate beyond intended directories and retrieve sensitive system files.
This directory traversal vulnerability maps directly to CWE-22, which specifically addresses improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory. The technical implementation of this flaw demonstrates a classic lack of proper input filtering where the application directly incorporates user-supplied filename values into file system operations without adequate sanitization or validation. Attackers can exploit this by appending directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ to the filename parameter, effectively bypassing access controls and gaining access to files outside the intended attachment directory. The vulnerability affects the web application's file handling mechanism and represents a fundamental security flaw in the application's privilege separation model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive information. Remote attackers can leverage this flaw to access configuration files, database credentials, application source code, and other system files that may contain sensitive information. The vulnerability affects the confidentiality and integrity of the system since it allows unauthorized file access without proper authentication or authorization. Organizations using affected SmarterMail versions face significant risk of data breaches, intellectual property theft, and potential escalation to full system compromise if attackers can access administrative configuration files or database connection strings.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and sanitization techniques to prevent directory traversal attacks. The most effective remediation involves implementing strict input filtering that rejects or removes directory traversal sequences from user-supplied parameters before they are processed by the file system operations. Organizations should also implement proper access controls and privilege separation to ensure that file system operations occur within restricted directories. Additionally, the application should validate that requested filenames are within expected directories and reject any attempts to access parent directories or absolute paths. This vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and implementing defense-in-depth strategies as outlined in the ATT&CK framework under the privilege escalation and credential access categories. Regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar flaws in other components of the application stack.